Orphan's Paradise
by Mystic Song
Summary: There is no room for mistakes if you’re a big celebrity like Kenshin Himura. But when there’s an assassination attempt gone wrong and Kenshin’s image plummets, an orphan named Kaoru may be the only one able to fix Kenshin’s image, or ruin it.
1. Cry Murder

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Orphan's Paradise

By: Mystic Song

Chapter 1 – Cry Murder

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Summary: There is no room for mistakes if you're a big celebrity like Kenshin Himura. But when there's an assassination attempt gone wrong and Kenshin's image plummets. An orphan named Kaoru may be the only one able to fix Kenshin's image, or ruin it, or will an unknown murderer get to that first?

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Rurouni Kenshin characters.  Though I did create the plot, it was influenced by the musical Annie. 

A/N: Hello everybody! I haven't posted anything for so long, but I got this idea one night and just started writing. I hope you all like it! This is just a type of prologue where the plot really starts rolling. Enjoy!

8:42 pm

Kenshin bit back a surge of frustration, hands clenched tightly at his sides. According to the grandfather clock in Kenshin's study, his escort was now 12 minutes late.

Kenshin sighed and fell back into a black leather armchair, propping his head up with his palm. Just a half an hour before the party, the security system to Kenshin's estate crashed. Kenshin had to single-handedly reboot the system, pondering all the while how such a high-strung security system managed to be infiltrated.

Tired and worn out, Kenshin had come to his study to meet his escort, only to find her not there. He did not want to be late to his own party.

But now…

Kenshin gave another sigh.

But now his escort was missing and his party had started without him.

Kenshin determinedly pushed himself up and out of his armchair and strolled purposefully through the door, all the while straightening his blazer. He was going to have to go to the party, with or without his escort.

Kenshin walked down a narrow, dimly lit hallway that discouraged other visitors from entering, allowing Kenshin an untouched sanctuary to contemplate in. The hallway eventually opened up into a wide lobby just outside the ballroom-like reception hall where his guests were currently enjoying themselves—without him.

A pair of great oak doors were all that separated Kenshin from the party, but he lingered in the lobby nonetheless for just a second longer. He glanced over at a nearby mirror, checking his high tail of fiery red hair, brushing a few bangs out of his eyes that accented his dangerously sharp cheek bones. His eyes were a deep amethyst that held a golden spark, like an emitting flame, which was the only thing that accounted for his perturbed mood.

Kenshin then threw open the doors, placing a haphazard smirk on his face, and became absorbed with the lively chatter and the tinkling china.

A cheer arose in the small crowd at Kenshin's entrance.

"Here's to Kenshin!" They shouted with a toast of their champagne glasses.

Kenshin smiled and modestly thanked his guests.

A large table sat in the middle of the room, and sitting at it were the most important executives of his late parents' company over in Japan. It was a grand occasion: the company was just named number one in Japan. Kenshin had invited the board to come and celebrate on his estate.

Also seated at the table was Hiko Seijuro, Kenshin's uncle who had eagerly taken him in after his parents had died, teaching Kenshin everything about the Hiten-Mitsurugi; a dangerous and deadly art form that involved swords, hence the name of his company.

Kenshin sat down between Hiko and a man by the name of Shishio Makato. Shishio was a cruel man with charcoal hair and dark skin. His eyes were cold and piercing. He was a calculable man as well who was not to be underestimated. But Kenshin hated him just the same.

Shishio was Kenshin Himura's PR. He used to be on Mr. and Mrs. Himura's board of trustees, and after their death, volunteered to watch over Kenshin's public image and steer him up the social ladder.

Despite sitting next to his adversary, Kenshin found the party to be pleasant and polite. Kenshin generally liked more rowdy, upbeat parties; but ever since he announced his retirement from the movie business one month ago, the press had decided to latch onto Kenshin, observing his every move and trying to find out the "real reason" why he left.

So Kenshin sat congenially at the table, chuckling at jokes, recalling humorous stories in his movie career, and discussing upcoming events that Himura's company would be sponsoring.

Two hours had passed and the conversation started to dwindle when the oak doors opened. In stepped a young woman with a plum-colored dress whose back was cut just as low as the front. Her black hair was tightly pulled back into a clip, the ends flaring out exotically.

"Well, if it isn't Tomoe Yukishiro." Shishio drawled, "How kind of you to join us."

Tomoe smiled pleasantly and gracefully approached Kenshin, finally bowing in apology. "My apologies, Kenhin-sama." Tomoe was a model for a new clothes line Kenshin had started a year earlier. Needless to say that long hours of working one on one with his favorite model led to a more prominent relationship.

Kenshin stood up from his chair and pulled up an extra one for Tomoe, all the while waving her apology aside. "No problem. I'm just glad that you could make it." He shot her a charming smirk. It was hard to keep a grudge with a woman as beautiful as Tomoe. Her soft-handedness and quiet demeanor were pleasing and relaxing; a comforting contrast to his busy life.

As Tomoe took her seat, she leant over to Kenshin's neck and pressed her lips to his ear. "Could I see you for a minute…alone?" She asked, her voice smooth.

Kenshin became very aware of the light sheen on her skin and vaguely wondered if it was a new gel she put on, though it looked very much like sweat. "Of course." He replied. Normally, they would go to a secluded room and make love, but tonight Tomoe lacked that seductive twinkle in her eye. Instead it was replaced with something stronger, something darker, something Kenshin couldn't put his finger on.

The party, being fueled on alcohol and good humor, paid them little heed as they left the room: only Shishio looked up from his plate and shot them a sardonic smirk. Kenshin rolled his eyes and opened the door to let Tomoe through.

The door closed, and with it shut out all the noise from within the hall. All that could be heard now was Tomoe's high heeled shoes clicking as she paced across the marble floor.

Kenshin looked at her quizzically, but Tomoe chose to ignore him; her complexion fading; her fists clenched white.

"Shall we go for a walk across the garden?" Kenshin asked civilly, offering Tomoe his arm. She looked like she could use a bit of fresh air, 'and,' Kenshin admitted haughtily to himself, 'if she still wants to have some fun, it'll be a change of scenery.'

Tomoe's voice failed her, so instead she nodded her head.

Kenshin lead her across the entry way through the large stained-glass front doors and out onto a cobblestone pathway that circled around a water fountain and lead straight into his exquisite garden, which was shielded from immediate view by towering shrubbery sprinkled with roses and tulips. A perfect sanctuary.

Tomoe hesitated before entering the garden. Kenshin observed her as she mentally recuperated herself and determinedly took a few steps forward.

It wasn't until Kenshin and Tomoe reached the heart of the garden when he felt that they weren't alone. It was a lingering presence in the back of his mind, and one that grew ever stronger as they roamed deeper into the garden. And with every step they took, Tomoe became more and more rigid: first her heels clicking clumsily across the cobblestone, then her arms clenching tightly to her sides, and finally her back firming as rigid as a pole. Hoping to relieve Tomoe's uneasiness, he put his arm around her waist. However, she instantly froze.

"Take your arm off her." A cold voice growled behind them, and Kenshin noted a trace of jealousy in his tone.

"And who are you to tell me what to do?" Kenshin asked smoothly, not at all surprised at the sudden intruder, and slowly turning around to face the aggressor.

A man concealed in black stood behind Kenshin, a sword clenched in his hands, a shock of brown hair sticking out from his cap. His dark eyes narrowed at the sight of Kenshin's arm around Tomoe's waist.

"My name is Akira, and you fear it as you will. Tonight will be your last night." The man said, taking an offensive stance beside a towering wall of flowers, sword drawn at his side.

Kenshin pushed the still Tomoe back behind him, almost protectively, as he drew into a defensive stance. He wasn't as worried about facing an opponent without a sword as he knew that someone wanted to take his life. Hiko had taught him well; this wouldn't be the first time he fought without a weapon against an armed aggressor.

Akira leapt forward with his sword raised and aimed for Kenshin's head. Kenshin, who was abnormally fast (thanks to his training), ducked and rolled off to the side, causing Akira to slam his sword down into the ground. Akira growled and swung around, fire burning in his eyes.

Kenshin was confused. "Why are you trying to kill me?" He asked, dodging another violent blow. He planned to not take aggressive action until he knew what was going on. Perhaps Akira's answer would solve the mysterious crashing of his security system.

"How dare you touch my fiancé!" Akira cried, swiveling from a missed attack to charge at Kenshin.

Kenshin was shocked. He narrowly stepped out of the way of Akira's charge in order to stare at Tomoe. "You're his….fiancé?" He managed to say, trying to catch Tomoe's hidden gaze.

Tomoe's hands hid her face from view, her back bent over, and her body shaking. A great moan ripped from her body that confirmed Kenshin's question.

A great fury swept through Kenshin's body as his muscles tensed and his eyes glowed gold. This woman whom he had been seeing for six months, whom he had slept with, and whom he had trusted, was engaged to this lunatic that was now trying to kill him.

Out of sheer rage, he turned his back on his attacker and approached Tomoe threateningly. She lifted her head and gasped, backing away from Kenshin but only pressing herself harder against the towering shrubbery behind her. Out of desperation, Tomoe reached down to her leg and, tucked beneath the folds of her dress, retrieved a dagger. She hastily slashed the dagger in Kenshin's general direction, catching the side of his face with the tip and drawing it down his cheek. After she did it, she froze and looked with horror at Kenshin's new gash, and at Akira approaching Kenshin silently from behind with his sword raised.

Tomoe let loose a cry of terror and desperation, flinging herself between the two men of her life; her lover and her intended.

It was too late to stop the sword from falling. It was too late to push Tomoe out of the way.

Tomoe's strangled voice lingered unpleasantly in the garden, the dark blood staining the cobblestones and seeping into the grass. Akira looked down on Tomoe with horror, and a deeper sadness crossed his face, deeper than any emotion Kenshin had ever known or ever felt. Akira lovingly stroked Tomoe's fading pale cheek and picked up the dagger that she had dropped. Turning on Kenshin, who was still paralyzed by shock and surprise, Akira drew another slash across Kenshin's face, completing a large, bloody, 'x'-shaped scar. Then, turning his back on Kenshin and picking up his sword, he muttered mournfully, "Mission failed. Oh, why did I ever get into this.…" and plunged his sword into his stomach.

Two bodies sprawled across the cobblestone floor. And that's where Kenshin left them and retreated inside.

Within forty-five minutes, the police and press swamped Kenshin's gardens. Kenshin sat in his armchair in the study, bandages plastered to his cheek, Hiko by his side, an investigator standing in the corner, and Shishio Makato standing outside the study door.

Please review and tell me what you think! Criticism is welcome, though no flames please. Thanks!


	2. Adoptee

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Orphan's Paradise

By: Mystic Song

Chapter 2 – Adoptee

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My disclaimer still holds true.

A/N: Thank you for the reviews, they mean a lot.

"Kao-chan," Murmured a high-pitched voice; small hands prodding a curled up figure on the floor with a mass of black hair.

"Kao-chan!" A second voice urged. This time their hands were shoving the curled up figure, trying desperately to wake her up.

A long moan. A terrible groan. A hand flung up to swat the voices away. The body flopped over onto its stomach.

The two little girls looked at each other with disbelief. The next moment, they leapt up on 'Kao-chan,' jumping, pinching, and tickling in order to wake her up.

"Ow…" 'Kao-chan' murmured, slowly pushing herself up off the floor and detangling herself from her mass of blankets.

"It's about time!" The older of the two girls huffed, hands on her hips.

"What's the rush?" Kao-chan sighed as she ran fingers through her mass of black hair tangled in knots. "It's still dark outside. It can't be past 3 in the morning!"

The youngest started to jump up and down excitedly. "There's a man here—an important man—talking to Yumi!"

Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Isn't there always?"

Yumi was the caretaker of the orphanage: she managed bills, set up orphans with sponsors, and made money off of an important man named Shishio who worked for some Hitsen-Muga-something company. How? The orphans were forbidden to say. At night, the front door would often creak open and a man with bandages would sneak inside, unlock the door to Yumi's room, and….

"Not this time!" The elder girl exclaimed, her brown eyes widening. "This time, he's actually adopting one of us!"

Kaoru scrunched up her nose. "Who would want to live with a smelly guy like that?"

"He's not adopting one of us for himself! He's adopting one for Kenshin Himura!" The little girls squealed simultaneously.

Kaoru's mouth dropped in shock. "K-Kenshin Himura? The billionaire? The m-movie star? The s-sexiest man a-alive?"

The little girls squealed again.

"Oh my goodness!"

The two girls grabbed Kaoru by the wrists and dragged her down the steps and over to another group of girls huddled outside of Yumi's bedroom door.

The girls surrounding the door were dead silent, each pressing their ears against the cracks in the wall, eager to listen to the conversation within. In between the smacking sounds and the moans the girls could make out a somewhat coherent conversation.

"Why….on Earth….would Kenshin…._Kenshin_!…why would Kenshin.…want one of…._them_?" Yumi's silky voice, though muffled, slipped past the door.

"I'm sure you heard….on the news." Shishio ground out. "He's in the same….same predicament as….Aoshi Shinomori!" The girls outside the room stifled their gasps with their hands.

"Aoshi Shinomori?" Yumi groaned. "That sounds so-so familiar…."

"Yeah. He adopted one of your….brats.…two years ago."

The girls could hear a rustle of cloth, the bed squeak, and then quick footsteps pace around the room. "And you want another one? You took one of my girls last time, and now she's gone, and never to come back!" Yumi exclaimed heatedly. "I could have made good money off of her!"

The girls looked around nervously.

"Ah, but this time, we will pay you handsomely." Shishio said decisively.

There was a pause. But not a hesitant pause. Rather, an eager one. The girls knew that Yumi could always be won over with money. "Really? Well.…I suppose you could choose in the morning…."

The bed creaked and the giggling and grunting continued.

Outside the door, the orphans shuffled about anxiously. Someone would get to live with Kenshin Himura! But what happened to the last girl that left to live with Aoshi Shinomori? The girls tiptoed back to their rooms and whispered to each other in their beds.

Kaoru, who was one of the oldest orphans there, quieted the girls and calmed some of their fears. But in reality she was just as uneasy as all of the other girls. 'But what is there to do?' She thought. 'Regardless of what happens, they will choose one of us in the morning. But it better not be any of the younger ones.…they do not need to be subjected to the world of Kenshin Himura.'

Kaoru woke up early the next morning. She stumbled down the steps from her bunk to the front door. Checking the peep hole to see that no one was outside to see her in her sleeping gown, she cracked the door open and quickly retrieved the newspaper.

She turned around; about to head to her bunk so that she may read the news in peace, when she heard unfamiliar voices in Yumi's office.

"Alright, we finished the paper work. We need to leave as soon as possible." Came the unfamiliar voice of a man that sounded, surprisingly, calm and laid back.

"The press got wind last night of our plan, but they do not know which orphanage….yet. We would like to cause as less commotion as possible." Came the other unfamiliar voice of a woman, her tone just as calm as her companion's.

Kaoru chanced a glance into the office window. Through the warped glass she could make out the tall silhouette of the man, his gravity-defying hair reminded her of a….a rooster. The woman seated next to him was tall and slender and by her posture, seemed classic and elegant. There was no doubt they must be working for Kenshin Himura.

"Well, with the paper work done, you are ready to take your adoptee." Yumi said. "Just one thing. When will you tell the press that you got the girl from my orphanage?"

"In two days." The man replied without pause.

The silence that followed indicated how unsatisfied Yumi was with his response.

"Very well." Yumi said curtly. "Go take the brat and leave."

Kaoru ducked down quickly and froze. They already chose the child? Who was it?

She rushed up two flights of stairs to the first set of bunks just as the office door opened. Kaoru scanned the room from the doorway, seeing no child missing from their bed. With a relieved sigh, Kaoru acknowledged that the youngest children were safe.

Kaoru dashed up the next flight of stairs to the children ages 7-12. She peered through the door and found one bed missing. It was Ayame's, the little girl who had woken her up the night before.

'No, no, no, no, no.' Kaoru thought rapidly. 'Not Ayame.…please don't be Ayame.' Panic started rising as she swerved around when she suddenly bumped into something small.

"Kao-chan!" The little girl squeaked. "What are you doing here? I've been looking all over for you!"

"Ayame!" Kaoru cried happily, reaching down to give the younger one a hug.

"Kao-chan…." Ayame said, confused. Kaoru didn't reply, but just continued her bear hug. "Kao-chan, Yumi-san wanted to see you."

Kaoru's grip immediately slackened. "What for?"

Ayame shrugged. "There's a tall man and a pretty woman downstairs that want to see you."

"Oh.…kay." Kaoru said. She lingered in the doorway, looking back into the room where her friends slept. _Why did Yumi want to see her?_ No.…they couldn't….but…w_ere they adopting her? _Little faces peeped up between the sheets of the bed as Kaoru slowly turned away and solemnly walked away from the bunks, down the stairs, and into Yumi's office.

It was just 10:30 in the morning. Kenshin had been up since 6, practicing out in his private dojo, then meditating out in the garden where Tomoe was killed three nights before. His house had been in complete chaos since that night. Kenshin's public image had plummeted: the news informing everyone that Kenshin's girlfriend was engaged to another man—what scandal! And the tabloids revealed the tragic love story of Tomoe and her beloved Akira, where Kenshin was the only one at fault.

A similar event had happened on Kenshin's premises just two years before. Himura is not the only one who lives in this house. His best friend Aoshi Shinomori lives there too. He's a quiet, thoughtful man. His countenance is like stone, his mind nothing short of brilliant. He led a group called the Oniwaban-shu. They were an elite group of ninjas who protected the house. However, one night two years before, a man confronted the group with a grappling gun, killing all but one. Aoshi.

Aoshi killed that man with such brutality he would have been considered a barbarian, if the press knew about it. Only the people living in Kenshin's house at the time knew about that event, and one other.

The deaths of most of the Oniwaban-shu could not have gone overlooked. The public found out and thought Aoshi cold-hearted. How could he witness the deaths of his closest friends and not show remorse or pity or compassion? His public image plunged as well. In an attempt to save his image so that he was not forever shunned from society, he collaborated with Shishio to adopt an orphan, one who he could teach the art of the ninja and show compassion to. Shishio went out and adopted a vibrant and energetic girl, to much of Aoshi's surprise since he expected a boy as quiet and restrained as himself. She still lived in Kenshin's mansion: Aoshi was originally going to keep her for six months, but now he won't let her go. Kenshin believed that she unlocked his stone countenance and had crept into his heart and soul, something that took years for Kenshin to do.

But now, Aoshi is well thought of in society. He is invited to many fights, and is invited to compete and teach. Kenshin must adopt an orphan now, too, and hope that his charity will prove his innocence in the matter of Tomoe.

Inside the house, servants were bustling about, cleaning and straightening, and preparing the new orphan's arrival.

☼A/N: There won't be much of a wait before the next chapter comes out : )

Please review!


	3. New Arrival

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Orphan's Paradise

By: Mystic Song

Chapter 3 – New Arrival

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Disclaimer: Okay, so I don't have to keep putting one on every single chapter, this one will hold through for the rest of the story. No I do not own Rurouni Kenshin or any of its characters, nor do I own any copyrighted products, if mentioned, in this story. Now does that work? …I hope so )

A/N: Thank you very much for the reviews. It brought up something that (I know, shame on me) never occurred to me. Well it did, I just didn't make specifics out of it. And that is the characters' ages. And it would be unfair to you if you never knew any of the characters' ages. So here's a list of all of the characters that have appeared so far and their ages.

Kenshin – 23 Kaoru – 18 Aoshi – 24 Misao – 18

Tomoe – 22 Akira – 22 Shishio – 35 Yumi – 32

Sano – 28 Megumi – 27 Hiko – 42 do I really need to list anybody else?

Now I'll admit that's not what their ages are in the manga but this is an AU fic and things are slightly OOC. These are simply guidelines for you viewing pleasure.

Kaoru felt very self-conscious in the limo. Her hair was tangled, her shoes well worn, her shorts were ripped and her shirt was ratty. She looked like….well, what she was. A poor orphan, and looked nothing like the primped up woman and the tall, well dressed man sitting in front of Kaoru. So she sat curled up in the backseat of the limo, staring absentmindedly outside the tinted window, watching buildings fly past her as they headed outside of the city. She breathed heavily, wondering how difficult it will be just to blend in with the people in Kenshin Himura's mansion.

"What's there to be sad about, Kaoru?" Asked the woman who was in Yumi's office earlier that morning. Kaoru recently learned that her name was Megumi. "You'll be staying in a beautiful estate and will become personally acquainted with Kenshin Himura."

"You'll be famous!" Megumi's male companion added with a wink.

"Sano." Megumi growled. She tossed her long black hair over her shoulder and straightened her business suit. "Really, Kaoru, there's nothing to be sad about. You can visit the orphanage any time you want."

Kaoru looked up, startling Megumi and Sano with her bright stare. "Why am I here in the first place? What good will I serve in Himura-san's home?"

Sano leaned forward. "I'll be honest with you, kid. You're too bright to be messed around with. Kenshin is going through a rough time right now. I'm sure you've seen it in the papers." He said, glancing at the crumpled newspaper Kaoru still held in her hand from that morning. "To put it bluntly, you're here to save his image."

"But maybe you'll be able to save more than that.…" Megumi added almost as an afterthought.

Kaoru raised an eyebrow. "I don't understand." She muttered, returning her gaze to the window.

"Well it's nothing to worry about." Megumi said comfortingly. "The important thing is for you to enjoy yourself here. You'll be expected to attend major parties and such, but it's nothing big."

"All you have to do is get dolled up and make nice talk." Sano added nonchalantly.

Kaoru stuck out her tongue, eliciting a chuckle from Sano.

The city rolled past quickly and soon they were in the country, taking twisting paths under the shade of the trees. It all looked so beautiful to Kaoru, who had never left the city in all her life. Through the trees she could see a wide, open lake, shrouded in even more, taller trees that hid enormous mansions.

The limo slowed as it rounded a bend and descended a hidden driveway, leading them closer to the lake. A vast gate opened at their arrival, and they continued to drive across a road covered in pine needles. The trees thinned and soon the road was subjected to sunlight, with large bushes lining the road, and giving Kaoru a glimpse of wide gardens and towering fountains and beautiful flowers. The road curved into an under hanging, where butlers elegantly stepped outside large stained glass doors to greet them. If Kaoru wasn't the proof as to all the misfortune that happened three days before, she would have never believed it. How could there be murder and betrayal in such a beautiful place?

"This," Megumi whispered as they stepped out of the limo, "Is Kenshin Himura's mansion."

Butterflies swarmed Kaoru's stomach as she stepped onto the cobblestones and looked in every which direction. The mansion was huge! She couldn't see the ends of the estate nonetheless the ends of the mansion. "It's beautiful," she said, her voice hoarse with wonder.

A delighted squeal came from the front doors as a small girl rushed out and tackled Kaoru. "You must be her! Kaoru Kamiya! Oh, the pleasure is all mine! I'm so excited to meet you!"

Kaoru took a surprised step back, taking in the small girl's appearance. They seemed to be the same age, though the other girl was a few inches shorter than herself. Her eyes were bright green and her black hair was twisted into a long braid.

"Oh, I'm Misao Makimachi, by the way. I was an orphan too, until Aoshi-sama took me in. Here, let me show you around!" The girl said rapidly.

Kaoru giggled and let Misao lead her by the hand. She could already tell that her stay here would be worthwhile if she stuck with Misao.

Kaoru took her first few wavering steps up the stairs that leveled onto the platform beneath the under hanging, all the while wondering if she had stepped into a dream. Only Misao's cool grip on her wrist convinced her otherwise.

The butler standing outside the door bowed gracefully and opened the stained glass door with just as much grace. Kaoru felt her jaw drop. There was so much elegance here that she wasn't sure that she could handle it. She cast a glance back at Megumi and Sano. Megumi certainly had all the elegance in the world as she straightened her clothes and took confident steps towards the front doors, the clicks of her heels just accenting her poise. Sano simply stuffed his hands into his pockets and followed, his laid back demeanor emitting an easy and relaxing confidence.

Misao giggled and tugged on her wrist once more. "C'mon, Kaoru. There's so much to see! And not that much time until dinner! Let's go!"

Kaoru smiled and stepped into an impressive hallway. A pair of impressive oak doors stood to her right, a carpeted marble staircase stood in front of her, and glass doors stood to her left. Yet on the right side of the staircase there was an intriguing though dimly lit hallway. It was tucked in the corner so that it was easy to overlook, but it contrasted greatly with the cheerfulness of the lobby. Down that hallway Kaoru could sense despair and agony and a passion so deep that it was intimidating. But Kaoru felt drawn to it.

Misao jumped around and pointed to the oak doors. "This is the ballroom! Aoshi and Kenshin hold most of their parties in there, or out in the gardens, but mostly in there." She twisted around to where the glass doors were. "And these, well, these lead to everything else. To the library, and the kitchen, a couple conference rooms, a kinda movie theatre room, which is really cool, and a living room, and even a dojo." Kaoru's eyes widened in delight but let Misao continue. "And upstairs are our bedrooms and the study rooms. Where do you want to go first?"

Kaoru was overwhelmed with everything Misao had just said that her face resembled a deer in headlights. "Well, what's down that hallway over to the right?" She said, pointing to that alluring dark hallway.

"Oh, that's where Kenshin's study is. Hardly anybody ever goes down there. Only the heads of staff are allowed there." A malicious smirk spread across Misao's face. "But I snuck down there once. It's not all that impressive. Kenshin just sits on his chair staring off into space or toy around on that computer he's got. Real boring."

"Oh." Kaoru said. Misao suggested in touring the ballroom first so Kaoru let herself be dragged out of the lobby, though her eyes lingered down that hallway for as long as she could.

The rest of the day was a magnificent blur. Misao proved to be a very animated and trustworthy friend. They spent every moment together from waltzing in the ballroom to bribing the cook for some food before dinner. But after two hours of racing through hallways and trying every chair and sofa in the mansion, Kaoru just wanted to crash on a bed and sleep.

"Kao-chan! What are you thinking?" Misao exclaimed, applying her new honorific. "Dinner's not even fifteen minutes away!"

Kaoru groaned and plopped down on the stairs in the lobby. "Then I'll just take a fifteen minute nap."

Misao huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Kaoru Kamiya. You will not take a nap. You can not miss dinner."

"But-"

"Nope! Don't want to hear it!" Misao interjected quickly. "Now let's get you upstairs to your bedroom so we can get ready."

"What?" Kaoru said, confused. She never had to get ready for dinner before in the orphanage. Well unless you counted washing your hands before eating, but she didn't see the point of going all the way upstairs just to wash her hands when there was a bathroom just around the corner.

Before Misao could drag Kaoru up the steps, crisp footsteps entered the lobby. Megumi gracefully walked in and spotted the two girls. "Oh what are you two doing, you lazy bums. You should be getting ready! Kaoru, go upstairs and pick one of the outfits up in your closet. Any one should be suitable for dinner. Now hurry up! Go!" Megumi said, shooing Kaoru and Misao up the steps.

Kaoru groaned once more and trudged up the steps. "I don't understand why I need to get dressed for dinner. And how will I know that these clothes will fit?"

Misao giggled and pushed open the white door that lead to Kaoru's room, or more like suite. Once opening the door the two girls entered a wide, bright sitting room with plush couches in pastel colors. A sheer cloth hung from an archway that separated the sitting room to a queen sized sleigh bed. A walk-in closet was off to one side of the bedroom, and a master bath on the other side of the sitting room.

Kaoru pushed the cloth aside and clambered onto the bed, sinking into the downy white comforter and itching to slide between the navy blue satin sheets.

Misao playfully threw her hands up into the air as she slid open the door to the walk in closet. "Okay, okay. If you refuse to get out of bed, I guess we'll have to have a compromise. But we have to be quick cause I still have to get dressed."

"What's the big deal anyway?" Kaoru asked yet again, trying desperately to stifle her yawn.

"Well, dinner every night is a fancy event when both Aoshi and Kenshin are here. Every guest and member of the house is expected to be there. Plus, it's your first night here; you want to make a good impression on Kenshin. Believe me, it's not often that both Kenshin and Aoshi are home at the same time. And it's not often when somebody impresses Kenshin. He can be as cold as Aoshi sometimes." Misao added the last part softly, ruffling through the many clothes in the closet.

"If he is such an important man, why didn't I see him around the house? Wouldn't you want to make an appearance if you've been away so long?" Kaoru asked, picking at the comforter.

Misao flipped her braid over her shoulder. "Now really, Kaoru. That man has been through enough this week. I'd let him mope it out. But now that you're here, we can spice some things up!" She said with a giggle and a wink.

Kaoru sat up on the bed with a smile and watched Misao pick out dresses one at a time and then stuff them back. Kaoru wasn't so sure she would like this high class society. She was a pretty laid back person that enjoyed her peace and quiet, and when the time came she was never afraid to work. 'Maybe it wouldn't have been such a bad thing for one of the younger ones to come here. They would love to be in such nice dresses.' Kaoru thought honestly.

"Okay, I think this would be good." Misao said, eyeing a deep blue sun dress with a halter top, form fitting center, low back, and loose skirt that just brushed below her knees. "Matches your eyes, don't you think?"

Kaoru was speechless. She had never dressed so nicely in her life. Fortunately, she didn't have to do any of the talking as Misao rushed over and pushed and pulled Kaoru around the room to help her get ready. They were finished in a record breaking 7 minutes.

"Alrighty, now for my turn." Misao said, brushing her hands off and heading out the door to the room just down the hall.

"Is your room just the same as mine?" Kaoru asked curiously, wobbling in the black stilettos as they sunk into the carpet.

Misao offered a bright smile and pushed open her door. Kaoru almost laughed out loud. There was no furniture in the middle of the room; everything was pushed off to the side. On the far walls, however, were targets. And in the very center of the room was a sort of end table with stacks of shinai. The curtain that hung between that room and the bedroom was shredded, though it was in such a way that it looked stylish and added an edgy flair. The bed was a simple four poster, but with a black comforter and dark green sheets.

"Wow….do you just throw shinai around whenever you're bored?" Kaoru asked, surprised not to find pictures of people pinned on the targets around the room.

Misao smiled. "Yeah, sometimes. When Aoshi first decided to teach me, he said I had to work on my aim, so I took it over the top, I'll admit. But now I do it when there's nothing else to do. You know, it can get pretty boring here with nobody else around." She headed on over to her closet as Kaoru leaned against the wall.

Posters were hung everywhere. Most of which were labeled with 'Aoshi' and some kind of tournament or technique. She took the time to examine the man, for she assumed that he would be present at dinner. He was a very stoic looking man with black hair, thin lips, and a white trench coat. His face was sharp and his eyes were piercing….almost ice-like.

"He's a very powerful man." Misao supplied as she brought out a dark green dress from her closet. "What do you think?" She said, holding the dress up to her body, drawing the sides into a curtsey.

"Very nice!" Kaoru clapped.

Within seconds Misao slipped into the dress, which was one shouldered and clung tightly to her small frame and ended at her thighs. "Yeah, it's not too bad. Never worn it before. First time for everything, huh?"

The two girls slid over to the mirror. Misao started to unwind her braid, letting the wavy tresses dangle down her back and nimbly worked it into a loose bun. Kaoru released her hair from the tie and combed it through with her fingers. It draped down her back, covering most of the bare skin, which made her feel a little more covered.

"Normally I hate wearing anything lady like. But these nights are so few and far between that it's a grand occasion." Misao sighed.

"Yeah, I'm not used to anything like this." Kaoru admitted. "I've never worn anything nicer than a new smock. This is a definite change."

"Well you look good! Okay, let's go!" Misao said energetically, looping her arm with Kaoru's and heading down the steps.

"Dang, is that the same girl that I picked up from the orphanage?" Sano greeted the two girls as they walked down into the lobby.

Kaoru flushed and smacked Sano upside the head. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Geez, Jou-chan, give me a break!" Sano complained, rubbing his face.

"Well you deserved it, rooster-head." Megumi snapped as she walked briskly by. Sano simply rolled his eyes and quickly tailed Megumi.

Misao laughed. "He's been after Megumi for months. I haven't seen her yet give him a second glance." Kaoru laughed with her as they entered the ballroom to be seated for dinner.

☼A/N: There's another chapter for ya. Hope you enjoyed it! Please, as always, review! It gives inspiration! )


	4. Dinner

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Orphan's Paradise

By: Mystic Song

Chapter 4 – Dinner

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Kenshin had been sitting in his room all afternoon. His walls were neutral colors, colors that relaxed him, and allowed him to reflect in ease. He heard the commotion when the girl arrived a couple hours ago and debated whether or not to greet her. Honestly, he was afraid of what he would see.

Kenshin was not one who liked to confront his past. Not that this girl was his past, but she was an orphan, just like himself. Even after all these years, he had yet to fully recover from his parents' death, choosing the simple option of not reflecting on it. But instances like these came where he had no other choice but to remember it, especially when the press would discover that link between him and his new guest.

So he sat on his couch, just thinking. Thinking about the tragic events that had happened a few days before, about the frightening images and the chilling screams. About the grief that racked his body, and the rough days that were to follow. When troubled, he'd focus on training. He practically cast himself away from the world until he felt under control. He was like Aoshi in many ways, always putting on a façade to fool everyone. No, not to fool, just to keep them from seeing the truth. To keep them from seeing how he really felt.

He leaned back into his couch, letting his feet rest on armrest at the other side. His red hair spilled over the arm rest, contrasting with the black leather of the couch. He was wearing a black button down shirt and khaki pants, all ready for dinner that night. Speaking of dinner, he would have to leave in a few minutes. But that still left him some more time to think.

With the sun starting to set, the light reflecting off the lake and casting long shadows across his patio and into his room, he wondered what this new girl would be like. He heard her arrive, or more of Misao's lively greeting. He didn't hear much other than the usual bickering of Megumi and Sano and Misao anxiously leading their new guest around.

Glancing for a final time at the clock, he decided that he might as well get Aoshi and walk into dinner, leaving his thoughts in his room.

Aoshi's room was at the opposite end of the hall, right next to Misao's. Kenshin strolled down the hall, his laid back demeanor giving him a careless look. And he could honestly say that he couldn't care less about anything these days. Not since he was betrayed and attacked. Not since he knew that there was somebody out there to get him. It seemed like there wasn't much to live for anymore. Hiko had organized a team to investigate Akira and Tomoe and their past together, but Kenshin had not heard anything since the day Tomoe died. Kenshin was restless and on edge, but he knew he could never show it. Not with the press around, not with somebody after him, and definitely not with an orphan living in his house.

Kenshin only knocked on the door to Aoshi's room once and waited for just a moment until Aoshi walked out. His unyielding face was stern as always, but Kenshin could detect the anxiety beneath. "I've been meditating." Aoshi offered to his perturbed mood. "No answer has presented itself."

Kenshin smiled at his friend for his efforts while sliding his hands into his pockets. His eyes were a miasma of amber and amethyst. He was angry and fierce and relaxed and unbiased all at the same time. Kenshin was not used to experiencing all of these emotions at one time, and it was exhausting to keep a tight hold on them and to not let his hostile side completely take over. If it did, well things wouldn't be pretty. "Something is bound to come up. But let's enjoy dinner without any worries."

Aoshi knew better than to think that Kenshin wanted to enjoy dinner for his guests' sake. Kenshin was walking on a tightrope, one slip will make him fall over the edge and he will fall prey to his aggressive self. To not think and worry about anything kept him at bay.

The two walked in step with each other down the steps across the lobby and, without hesitation, into the ballroom. The dinner guests all leapt up from their chairs in respect as they walked in. All except for one girl with long black hair and startling blue eyes. She looked around uncertainly at the other people at the table before cautiously sliding out of her own chair.

Kenshin couldn't help but stare at the unfamiliar face. He could only assume that this was the orphan, but she certainly didn't look like one. She wore her blue dress so well that it seemed like she was made for classy events. But her eyes, her eyes were innocent and revealing; he could read all of her emotions just from her eyes. Normally Kenshin would find that to be a major weakness, but not with this girl. For her it seemed like a weapon that could enforce guilt or sadness or happiness upon whoever she was looking at. Strange, really, but very….Kenshin couldn't think of the word. Attractive? Adamant? Alluring? Whatever it was, this girl had caught his attention completely.

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Kaoru felt her face flush at the insistent stare of Kenshin Himura. She knew that she stood up late and she recognized her mistake, but did he have to stare at her like that? Really, for a person of high society, that guy didn't show it. How dare he stare at her, embarrassing her like that in front of all these people she had never met before! Her body hardened in anger. If he really had a problem with her, why didn't he just tell her instead of staring at her so blatantly?

She lifted her chin to stare directly at Kenshin, her eyes harder than ice, daring him to say anything in front of all these people. But as she looked at him and waited for him to take his seat, she noticed the unusual color of his eyes. And within the colorful swirl of gold and purple, she recognized his amusement, and his uncertainty.

Aoshi headed towards his seat at the end of the table adjacent Misao, who was smiling broadly. Kenshin clumsily followed Aoshi and sat at the opposite end of the table adjacent Hiko and a couple seats away from Kaoru. She held Kenshin's gaze all the way to his seat before turning to Misao who promptly introduced her to every person at the table.

"First, this is Aoshi Shinomori." Misao began boldly. Aoshi simply lifted his head in acknowledgement at her. Or maybe it was at the servant since they all came out with their dinners at that time. Kaoru couldn't tell.

But when her plate was set down in front of her and the cover lifted, she couldn't believe her eyes. She had a platter of fettuccini alfredo with think noodles and creamy penne sauce with some basil tomatoes sprinkled on top along with parmesan cheese. Never had she ate a meal such as this in her all her life, and she felt guilty for not being able to eat all of it.

"Across from me is Tae." Misao continued with the introductions. "She runs the banquets around here and is in charge of decorating and food and such. Though it's not uncommon to see her doing some of the cooking herself." Tae looked up and bobbed her head with a pleasant smile. "Across from you is Tsubame. She also helps with decorating though she usually creates themes during holidays and have the staff decorate accordingly.

Tsubame, to Kaoru's surprise, was a little younger than her and Misao. 'She must be very talented then to work for Kenshin Himura.' Kaoru thought.

"And you already know Megumi and Sano." Misao interrupted Kaoru's thoughts. "But at the other end of the table is Mr. Kenshin Himura." Misao said proudly.

Kenshin looked up from his plate and gave Kaoru a hazardous smirk that sent her insides churning. She weakly smiled back and set her attention on a burly yet handsome man with long black hair.

"That's Hiko Seijuro; Kenshin's godfather." Misao informed Kaoru. Kaoru smiled more pleasantly at him, but he returned it with a sour look. 'Mou.' Kaoru thought, pouting her lips and scrunching her nose.

"And then next to you is Shishio Makato." Misao added loosely, her tone dropping unfavorably.

"Ah, Mr. Shishio." Kaoru said, surprising the table with her first words. "How wonderful it is to put a name to the face."

Shishio gave her a cold smile that threatened her not to say too much. Apparently the guests at the table didn't know about his affair with the orphanage caretaker, Yumi. "Ms. Kamiya. It is a pleasure meeting you. The caretaker of your orphanage spoke very highly of you. I just could not refuse you this great opportunity."

Kaoru snorted into her food and noticed the confused glances exchanged between Megumi and Sano. After realizing that Shishio was expecting her to say something more, Kaoru said, "Well, I'm sorry I can't say the same of you. But I'm sure my caretaker must have seen something to change her better judgment. I thank you for giving me such a wonderful opportunity." Then, facing Kenshin in order to avoid Shishio's death glare, she said, "And thank you, sir, for opening up your house to me."

Kenshin looked startled and didn't manage to 'thank you.' Instead he sat up straighter and gave a default smile. Hiko turned to his godson and glared at him.

As everybody settled into their food, Kaoru was able to sit back and really sink into this new life. She looked around at all of the people at the table chatting casually to each other. All except for Aoshi and Misao; Misao seemed to be doing all of the talking as Aoshi nodded his head a few times. Everybody seemed proper with their mannerisms and their dress, but Kaoru was comforted to know that these people were really no different than her self.

She couldn't say the same for Kenshin, however. His posture and his demeanor all screamed elegance and poise. Kaoru was afraid to even look at the man. She only did because she saw him look at her from the corner of her eye. His piercing eyes seemed to examine her and judge her and Kaoru prayed that he found her worthy to stay here. It's not like she had anywhere to go, she could never return to the orphanage after this. And that cross-shaped scar on his face made him appear very dangerous. But even when she looked away, his appearance seemed imprinted in her mind.

"Oh, Kaoru. I never showed you the pier!" Misao said suddenly. "Would you like to go down there after dinner?"

Kaoru smiled graciously. "I don't know, Misao. I'm pretty tired as it is."

"Oh, Kaoru, that's nonsense. There's a boat we can take out if you want. Or better yet, we can go out on the jet skis." Misao urged.

"Maybe tomorrow, Misao. All of this is very overwhelming, and I need some time to let it all sink in." Kaoru added with a chuckle at Misao's eagerness. "But thanks anyways."

"Oh okay." Misao sighed dramatically. "But tomorrow we're going to be out on the water all day! No excuses!"

Kaoru laughed. "Okay. But wait! I don't have a bathing suit!"

Misao shook her head. "I didn't have one when I first came here too. But, I tell you, that closet has everything in it."

Kaoru's eyes widened in wonder, "Who fills our closet anyway?"

Tsubame looked up from across the table. "I send some people out with a budget and they buy everything from party dresses to pajamas. Don't worry, we have everything covered." She said with a wink.

"Thank you, Tsubame, very much." Kaoru said graciously and finished the rest of her dinner.

Kaoru made sure she wasn't the last one to finish her meal. She waited until Misao was finished before Kaoru stood up from her seat. She walked out of the great hall awkwardly, never having to eat that much and feeling as if her stomach would burst. As she left the hall with Misao, she felt the burning gaze of Kenshin on her back. Without a second glance, though Kaoru was dying to take one, she walked up the stairs, step by step with Misao at her side.

Misao was laughing the entire time. "Do you need me to help you into your bed, too?"

Kaoru playfully swatted Misao. "Hey now. I think I can make it."

"_Think_ being the key word. If you need any help, just yell for me. I'll be there in a heartbeat!" Misao said. By this time they had made it to Kaoru's room and she already had the door half open.

"'Night, Misao. I'll see you in the morning." Kaoru said, stepping into her room and closing the door.

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"Baka deshi, what the hell were you thinking?" Hiko said accusingly to Kenshin. "And that girl was worried about making a fool of herself. You, sir, were the one acting like a fool. Staring at her the entire time. If this were at an actual party, the press would rape you! That girl will not be the one who embarrasses your image. You will."

Kenshin sighed inwardly, thankful that they were the only two left in the ballroom. This wasn't the first time his uncle had talked to him like this. "Yes, sir." He said, about to recite what always proved to be the perfect apology. "You're right. I'm wrong. I do not know what I was thinking."

"Yes." Hiko said, "That is right. Now I trust that you will take that girl with you on your next night out. She's not meant to be stuck inside. She's here to be looked at by the press. She's here to straighten the mess that you got into."

Something akin to guilt dropped in Kenshin's stomach. He hated it when Hiko blamed him for this. It made Kenshin seem inhuman and uncaring. He bowed his head and stood up from the dinner table. "Good night, sir."

Hiko bowed his head, lifting his mug of beer and downing the rest quickly. Kenshin turned and left the ballroom and entered his study to think.

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It was only 7 pm, but Kaoru was exhausted. And after stuffing her face at dinner, Kaoru felt beyond tired. She was sprawled out on the couch, eyeing the curtain separating her from her bed and calculated how much energy it would take to push open the curtain and to hop onto her bed. Kaoru concluded that it would be too much energy, so why bother. Instead, she closed her eyes and let her mind begin to wander.

Lightning bolts, colorful sunsets, crossed swords, wooded forests, raging fires. Some of Kaoru's imaginings were frightful images, and some were blissful. Kaoru struggled to understand it all. It was like an impossible math equation that had only one solution.

Her brows furrowed as they pieced the images together. Gold and amethyst swirled into a molten blend. Red fire engulfed the gold and amethyst. And the shape of an 'X' overlapped it all.

Kaoru shot up, eyes widening, her breath shallow. "Kenshin." She breathed.

Her window snapped shut causing Kaoru to jump. "What was that?" She wondered aloud. She slid off the couch and stepped cautiously to the window. Her heart was pounding in her throat, knowing that the wind couldn't have possibly shut her window.

**Knock. Knock.**

Kaoru screamed and twisted around to face the door.

"Jou-chan, you alright in there?" Came Sano's voice, turning the door handle before Kaoru could answer.

She collapsed onto the couch just as Sano entered the room. "I was just spooked, that's all. Everything's fine."

Sano raised one eyebrow. "That seemed like a little more than a spook."

Kaoru sighed. "My window closed unexpectedly, and it set me on edge. Then you knocked…." She ended sheepishly.

Sano chuckled. "Nothing to worry about. These grounds are supervised 24/7 and have a high tech security system. But if it makes you feel better, you can always lock your windows at night."

Kaoru smiled. "I will. But what were you doing up here anyway?"

"I was on my way to see you." Sano answered. "Megumi sent me up here to tell you the agenda for the next two weeks."

"Oh, okay." Kaoru answered uneasily.

"Oh don't worry." Sano quickly said, sensing her discomfort. "When you go out in public, you won't be on your own. Sometimes Misao goes, and other times Megumi and I go. And Kenshin will always be there."

Something about the last thing Sano said made Kaoru shudder.

"What's wrong with Kenshin?" Sano asked. "You haven't even really met the guy yet."

"He seems so….intimidating." Kaoru wrinkled her nose.

"Oh he's not all that bad once you get to know the guy." Sano said in Kenshin's defense.

Kaoru squirmed and Sano chuckled.

"Well anyway, you won't have to worry about going out until next week. Megumi and I still have to take care of the press, easing them into the idea that you're here. Don't be surprised if you see weird people with cameras trying to sneak onto the property, though."

"Oh, gee, thanks." Kaoru giggled. "I'll make sure to keep my eyes peeled."

"Seriously that's a good idea." Sano said. "You never know what may happen."

Kaoru raised an eyebrow at his tone. "Is there something I should worry about?"

Sano looked surprise. "My, do you read between the lines." Kaoru gave him a glare motioning for him to continue. "I'm just warning you to be cautious, that's all."

"Sano…." Kaoru growled.

"Fine." Sano said, throwing up his hands in defense. "Well, the press can be vicious sometimes. You don't want to do anything, well, stupid. And then we don't know who's after Kenshin. So you might want to watch out in case they go after you to get to him."

Kaoru laughed, though it was a fake one. "Why would they go after me? I barely know the guy!"

"But it won't be like that for long." Sano added wisely. "Now I really do have to tell you what you'll be doing this week."

Kaoru leaned back and rested her chin on her palm. "I'm listening."

"Next week, a bunch of people from Hiten-Mitsurugi Company are coming over for a meeting. I believe they're arriving on Tuesday. We'll be having a welcoming party for them Wednesday night. And Saturday night, you'll be attending an awards ceremony with Kenshin. Oh, and Saturday's evening will be broadcasted on television." Sano said with a smirk.

Kaoru paled. "Oh-kay. I can do that…."

"Misao's going too. You won't be alone." Sano said. "You just won't be sitting together." Sano added quietly.

"What did you say?" Kaoru asked.

"Nothing." Sano replied quickly. "Okay, I must be heading out. You have a good night, Kaoru."

Kaoru waved her hand and stood up to go over to her bed once Sano left the room. But not before locking all of her windows.

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Kenshin was alone in his study. Which wasn't unusual. But somehow, and it started just recently, being alone felt awfully….lonesome. He sighed and pressed his hand against the black armchair. He felt so guilty after his chat with Hiko. He really had been selfish and a prick. That poor orphan, being subjected to a completely new world, and Kenshin just abused her. Heck, he didn't even introduce himself. And he was the host!

'Well,' he thought to himself, 'She handled it well.'

'That's not the point!' He argued himself, biting back a wave of frustration.

He briskly walked over to the door at the other end of the room. It's one he didn't use that often, but it was a quick way to his bedroom upstairs.

As he ascended the carpeted steps, he thought about how the girl was feeling. Did he completely ruin her stay by just that one dinner?

'Why do you care, anyway? It's not like you cared about any of your other guests when they stayed here. You didn't even care about Misao.' He thought.

'But they're different.'

'No, they're really not.'

Kenshin really didn't want to think about it anymore. He'd been thinking all day. He pushed the glass doors in his room open and stepped out onto his deck. Glancing across the yard he realized that Kaoru's room was next to his.

Curiosity got the better of him as he stepped over the railing and hopped onto the adjoining roof, which was conveniently built below Kaoru's room. He easily crept across the shingles and knelt down by Kaoru's open window. He had to make sure that she was alright and not completely thrown off by his act at dinner. He was sure that he hurt her somehow after her quick leave once dinner ended.

He glanced around the room. She wasn't hard to spot, being sprawled out on the couch fully dressed in her evening attire. Kenshin had to admit she looked gorgeous. He paid particular attention to her face. It was in complete bliss one moment and in aggravation the next.

Kenshin didn't know what to do. She looked like she was having some terrible nightmare, but he couldn't just barge into her room. But when her brows furrowed and she shifted uncomfortably on the couch, Kenshin was ready to break into the room.

And then Kaoru shot up unexpectedly and murmured his name. Kenshin was so shocked at hearing his name and so rushed to jump off the roof so he wasn't caught that he unknowingly made the window slam shut.

He was halfway across the yard when he heard Kaoru scream.

'Should I turn back?'

'No, keep going, or she'll catch you.'

'Would that be such a bad thing? You should have just stayed in her room….'

'You pervert!'

Kenshin slowed down his jog as he approached the pier. He slid off his shoes at the end of the walkway and walked across the wooden boards of the pier. The water lapped gently at the sides. The water was so warm this time of year that Kenshin was tempted to strip and go swimming right then and there. However it was too risky with the press hounding his every move. Instead he settled with dipping his feet into the water, watching the ripples collide one into the other.

And so his mind trailed off lazily. It wasn't long until his thoughts encompassed an ebony haired girl with passionate cobalt eyes. He reminisced of her sparkling laughter and stone-cold glare. Kenshin had to admit that this girl was intriguing and that he would certainly enjoy her stay there.

A speed boat launched past the cove his pier was in, abruptly waking Kenshin from his thoughts. He thought it better to return to his room and to make a better second impression on his new guest.

'Kaoru….'

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A/N: FYI – someone brought up a good point in one of the reviews commenting on how Kaoru is in an orphanage when 18, and how the age difference between Kaoru and Kenshin would look bad publicly. Think of it this way: Kaoru just turned 18, but because of her over protective nature (which I hoped you noticed), she stayed in the orphanage for as long as she could. So I guess you could say she wasn't really being adopted, since she is 18, but just given another place to stay. As for Kenshin and Kaoru, well, I was surprised nobody hit on Aoshi and Misao. The two are linked. Remember that someone is out to get Kenshin, and his relationship with Kaoru may benefit the culprit………Just a thought.

Anywho, keep reading and please review!


	5. On the Lake

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Orphan's Paradise

By: Mystic Song

Chapter 5 – On the Lake

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7:03 am. Daylight filtered through the locked windows and flooded the room, seeping through the curtain and splaying across a sleeping girl. Kaoru smiled sweetly and enjoyed the moment; the clean linens, the enormous room, the warm comforter, the pretty decorations, the bright colors, the door quietly inching open, someone sneaking into her room….

Suddenly Kaoru remembered the incident last night when her window slammed shut. She could have sworn that somebody was watching her. Was this the same person? She squeaked and sat up straight in her bed. "Who's there?" Kaoru demanded.

"Aw, man!" Misao whined, leaping onto the bed. "How did you know I was in here?"

Kaoru eased back into the pillows and let a smile surface. "I wouldn't have noticed if I wasn't staring at the door." She looked sideways at Misao. "Hey Misao, were you outside my room last night?" She prayed she was.

"Um….no. Don't think so. I don't usually come on this side of the hallway since Himura's room is right next door." Misao replied casually. "Why?"

Kaoru felt uneasy. Kenshin was sleeping in the next bedroom over? She had a nasty feeling that Kenshin was the one outside her window. "Um, no reason, really. I just thought I heard someone, that's all."

Misao smiled, knowing that there was more to the story that probably did have to deal with Himura. But she didn't want to press things. Instead she jumped off the bed and tugged at Kaoru's arm. "Well, come on, Kaoru! I told you we were going to spend all day on the lake. Let's go!"

Kaoru smiled and pushed herself off the bed. She had never been on the lake before, and it looked so pretty from the house! Kaoru looked at Misao, who was dressed in a cute, triangular top bikini with orange and yellow stripes and matching boy bottoms. It definitely showed Misao's jovial side.

Kaoru looked wearily at her closet, wondering what kind of swimsuit she'd find. She walked in, glanced around the hangers and finally approached the dresser. Pulling open the top dresser drawer, she found two neatly folded bathing suits. One was a black, skimpy string bikini. The other a sportier one with the same cut as Misao's but was black with light blue flower prints. Kaoru opted for the second one.

Kaoru looked back at Misao. "Come on! Time's a wastin'!" She called back, brimming with excitement.

"But I still have to take a shower." Kaoru said uncertainly.

"You're gonna be in the lake all day!" Misao giggled, "Now get dressed, I've got some sunscreen down at the pier."

Kaoru shook her head, Misao could be so hyper. She stepped into the bathroom and changed into the bikini. She glanced over at the mirror and found her reflection to be quite attractive. Kaoru was fit with a few curves, and the bathing suit just highlighted every good aspect of her body. She smiled and pulled her hair into a tighter ponytail. This was going to be a fun day. She stepped out of the bathroom and smiled at Misao who whistled playfully.

"That looks good on you, Kaoru." Misao complimented while heading towards the bedroom door.

"Thanks," she said modestly, following Misao out of the room. They walked barefoot down the steps and through the glass doors where there was a sitting room. There was a back door to that room where they stepped out onto a patio and walked across the grass and onto the pier.

It was hot outside, though a gentle breeze kept Kaoru cool. She sat cross-legged on the pier, grabbing a nearby bottle of lotion and spreading it across her body. She then stretched out her legs to dip her feet in the water. It was neither too cold nor too hot but rather refreshing. She leaned back on her arms and let the sun warm her as Misao lowered two skit jets from their lifts into the water.

"Have you ever ridden on one of these before?" Misao asked as she pulled the jet skis around the pier and closer to Kaoru.

Kaoru laughed. "I've never left the city in all my life." Misao looked at her in disbelief. "My mother died in childbirth, and my father raised me in this small apartment. He used to teach me sword fighting in his free time. But he became very sick, so sick that I couldn't take care of him anymore. Yumi, the caretaker of the orphanage, took me in and made arrangements for me to live there when my father died." Kaoru explained.

"Yumi?" Misao asked, "Why, she took me in, too. But I was never around. I snuck out so often that Yumi became so frustrated she just stopped acknowledging me. But when the opportunity came, she couldn't wait to get rid of me. It was the best thing that ever happened to me, really. I got to meet my Aoshi-sama. He has taught me so much."

'That's why I never saw her around.' Kaoru concluded. She looked up at Misao, folded her arms and gave a 'hmph.' She pushed herself off the ground so she could stand next to Misao by the jet skis. "Too bad I can't learn anything from Kenshin Himura. He was so rude to me last night."

Misao giggled. "Trust me, Kaoru. I've never seen him act like that in all the time I've been here. You not only impressed him, you astounded him!"

"But I didn't do anything!" Kaoru complained.

Misao tossed Kaoru a sleek black lifejacket that looked as stylish as a lifejacket could get. She looped her arms through and zippered up the front as Misao mounted her jet ski. Misao then reached out her hand and steadied Kaoru as she mounted the other Jet Ski.

"Hey, don't be complaining." Misao advised once Kaoru was seated. "You should be flattered. I would like to see how he acts around you tomorrow since we won't be around for dinner tonight."

"Just what are we doing today?" Kaoru asked curiously.

"I'll show you around first. Then we'll stop and get some lunch. I grabbed some clothes and put them in that cubbyhole in the Jet Ski as well as a pair of sunglasses. After lunch we'll meet some friends on their boat to go tubing. Don't worry about them; they're good friends of Aoshi, too. We'll probably have dinner on their boat, so we probably won't get back until late."

Kaoru smiled. "Now how do I start this thing?"

"Push the button and then use the lever on the handle for gas." Misao did such, accelerating to the end of the cove, performing a tight turn and came back, beckoning Kaoru to follow.

Kaoru pushed the button and lurched forward. She was surprised and let go of the handle. Trying again, she gently accelerated, going slow. So slow that the tip of the jet ski rose until it became almost perpendicular with the water.

Misao laughed, speeding out of the cove. "You have to go faster for it to level out!" She called back.

Kaoru concentrated on going faster and soon leveled out, feeling the wind brush through her hair.

"That's it!" Misao cheered, standing from her idle jet ski and pumping her fist into the air.

Kaoru grinned wickedly and accelerated towards Misao, swerving in front of her at the last second and sending a wave of water in Misao's direction.

"Oh no you didn't!" Misao called out, wiping the water from her face and tossing her wet braid over her shoulder.

She chased after Kaoru, weaving around her and jumping the waves in her wake. Kaoru caught a couple of Misao's waves and launched into the air, cheering as she went.

Misao smiled broadly. "You're really getting the hang of this! Let's go out to the main water so we can jump the waves of some bigger boats!"

Kaoru nodded and zoomed along side of Misao, catching glimpses of the locals stretched out on the piers or putting along in their boats.

☼☼

☼☼

Kenshin pushed himself out of bed, feeling even more tired than when he went to bed the night before. It had been like that now for the past few nights actually. He was exhausted but afraid to close his eyes because once he did; he was plagued by the images of Tome's mutilated body and of Akira's horrified face. His mind was racked with Tomoe's scream of terror and pain and of Akira's strangled cry. Their last moments would forever be replayed in his mind. Kenshin couldn't help but feel guilty. He was the intended victim but somehow became the twisted victor.

Kenshin's darker self kept him going, reminding him that Tomoe had purposefully seduced him to use him. And that Akira was hired to attack Kenshin, and did not just appear out of a jealous rage. They knew what they were getting into and had no other choice but to face whatever consequences may come, even if it meant death.

But the nightmares….

How could one ever forget such a heartbreak. Such a calamity.

He slowly walked towards the bathroom, peeling his clothes off along the way. He then stepped into the lavish bathroom and flipped on the shower. He stepped inside and stood stiffly beneath the heavy pounding of the burning water. Slowly, he let it unfurl him, let it relax his muscles and wash away his nightmares.

True, it was important that his image needed saving. But more importantly, his conscience needed saving. He needed someone who could revive him back to his cheerful self, someone that could make him smile again. Someone that could let him love again, despite the consequences of the press and the public.

Kenshin finished getting dressed and walked downstairs. He passed through the glass doors and the family room, plastering a fake smile on his face when his servants looked up at him in awe. He crossed into the dining room, taking a seat next to Sanosuke.

"Wow did you sleep in late." Sano greeted Kenshin with a mouthful of toast.

Kenshin smiled and ordered his breakfast. "What time is it?" Kenshin asked.

"11:30." Sanosuke replied.

He was right, that was pretty late for him. "Well, that's pretty early for you."

Sano shrugged. "Megumi came barging into my room this morning wondering where the two misses were. I couldn't sleep after that."

A worried look crossed Kenshin's face. "You mean Misao and Kaoru-san? Where are they?" He had the sudden image of a strangled Misao and maimed Kaoru cross his mind.

"They took two of the jet skis and are somewhere out on the lake. They're fine. The press won't know about her until tomorrow morning."

"But what if something happens to them out there?"

Sano laughed. "Geez are you acting like an overprotective parent. C'mon, Kenshin, it's Misao. She wouldn't let anything happen to Jou-chan. And they're probably with Okon and Omasu. They're all ninjas, they'll be fine."

Kenshin finished his breakfast uneasily. There were too many questions unanswered for it to be safe to let his guest roam about freely outside.

"I think I'm going to go bring her back." Kenshin said decidedly just as his breakfast was brought out.

"Are you serious?" Sano sputtered. "Just let her have some fun, Kenshin. She deserves the right to enjoy herself. She's a headstrong girl, she'll be alright. After last night she needs to have a fun day."

"What do you mean?" Kenshin asked defensively.

"Well, it didn't help that you didn't greet her yesterday when she arrived. And then at dinner she felt left out and humiliated. You, well I don't know what you did. You didn't quite ignore her since you were staring at her the entire time, but you didn't acknowledge her either. And last night, she was so on edge that she screamed when I knocked on her door. She's frightened of you, Kenshin. You need to fix that, or else she won't be able to do anything to help your image, if that's all you care about." Sano said heatedly.

Kenshin bowed his head so that his bangs covered his amber eyes. "My image is not what I care about. It's what Hiko and Shishio care about. I just don't want what happened to Tomoe happen to Kaoru." And with that he stood up decisively from the table.

A strong arm held him back. "No, Kenshin. Don't. She would be hurt even more if you ruined her day out." Sano said.

"But I will not let her stay out for an entire day when we don't know who is out there to get me. For all we know, he may already know that Kaoru is here." Kenshin replied, his voice deep and dark.

"Well, at least let Jou-chan enjoy her afternoon. You can go looking for her in a few hours if you still feel so strongly against it. But I warn you, Kenshin, that this might hurt her more than help her."

Kenshin nodded curtly and sat down roughly to finish his breakfast, an awkward silence resting between him and Sanosuke.

☼☼

☼☼

"Thank you for coming, Gohei." A sinister voice greeted in darkness.

A burly man bowed. "Of course, anything to help you."

The man in the dark gave a leering smile. "That girl has arrived on the Himura estate. I believe you may find her out on the lake. You know what to do."

Gohei shouldered a camera bag and bowed one last time, exiting the dark room.

The man shrouded in darkness laughed maliciously, walking towards a window that overlooked the lake. Outside he could see two young women on jet skis chasing each other as they headed out towards the open, unprotected waters.

☼☼

☼☼

Kaoru was airborne at the moment, a surprised expression on her face. A speed boat had just passed her and she had crossed its wake, shooting her up into the air. She could hear Misao laughing nearby as she accelerated to jump the same wake.

Just as Kaoru landed, Misao sailed past, standing on the Jet Ski, braid whipping behind her. Misao landed with a small splash and circled towards Kaoru.

"Do you want to get some lunch?" Misao asked. They had been out for a few hours and their fuel tanks were getting low. "There's a place nearby with a gas station and a little restaurant."

"Sounds good." Kaoru nodded and took off after Misao across the main water and towards a cove.

There was a bridge up ahead with a 'No Wake' sign above it. Kaoru pulled up next to Misao and drifted underneath the bridge.

"How are we going to pay?" Kaoru asked as they putted along through the no wake zone. "I didn't think you had any money on you."

"I don't." Misao answered. "But this place has a tab that I can use. You see, these jet skis are unique. All the locals know they belong to the Himura Estate because of the Hiten-Mitsurugi Company logo on the front."

Kaoru leaned forward to look at the logo; two crossed swords with Hiten Mitsurugi written underneath in Japanese characters. "Well don't people get suspicious if we're going out in public on Himura's jet skis?"

Misao shrugged. "Not most the time. See that dock over there? That Jet Ski belongs to a retired actor, but he never takes it out. It's not often that you find somebody famous out here."

Kaoru nodded and followed Misao to a pier several meters away from the no wake zone. A man a few years old than them stood on the pier, arms outstretched to pull their jet skis alongside the boards. He steadied their Jet Skis as Kaoru and Misao dismounted onto the pier, tying the jet skis to the side.

"Will this go on Himura-san's tab?" The man asked, eyeing the logo on the jet ski.

Misao nodded. "That's right. We're going to go get something to eat real quick." She reached down into the cubbyhole of their jet skis and retrieved some clothes and their sunglasses.

"Your jet skis will be fueled and ready to go by the time you get back." The man reassured them.

Misao waved her thanks as they headed up the ramp to the restaurant. Outside the door, Misao handed Kaoru a pair of flip flops, her sunglasses, and a skirt. She slipped them on easily and put the sunglasses atop her wind swept hair in an effort to make it look presentable. Misao pulled on the same and together they stepped into the restaurant and stepped up to the counter.

"Hi," Misao greeted the girl behind the counter, "I would like a chili cheese dog. Hey Kaoru, what do you want?"

Kaoru glanced at the menu against the walk quickly. "Um, a bacon and cheese dog."

Misao repeated it to the girl behind the counter and asked for an additional order of cheesy fries and asked to put it on Himura's tab. A few passersby looked at Misao quizzically but didn't say anything. The girl behind the counter gave Misao a number and Misao and Kaoru sat down at a seat by the window that overlooked their two jet skis.

Misao stuck the plastic number on a stand in the middle of the table. "The food here is really good, even though they only serve hamburgers and hot dogs."

"I can tell." Kaoru said, "There are certainly a lot of people here for such a small place."

Misao nodded in agreement and glanced around the room. "Oh no," she murmured, looking at a brusque looking man on the other side of the room. "Why is he here?"

"Who?" Kaoru asked curiously, searching for the man Misao was looking at.

Misao jerked her head at the bar towards the window. The man was so surly that Kaoru couldn't miss him. "Who is he?"

"His name is Gohei, and he's with the press. Good thing they don't know about you yet. But I guess it couldn't hurt, it's not like Himura or Aoshi is around so they wouldn't suspect you." Misao whispered.

Kaoru looked uneasily. "I don't want do anything to ruin Kenshin's image before I even get the chance to fix it." Kaoru imagined the next day's tabloids announcing a false accusation to Kaoru and Kenshin's relationship.

"Just keep low and don't draw attention, that's all. It shouldn't be hard." Misao said with a wink. Kaoru didn't doubt her; after all, she was a ninja.

The food was brought out then. The two girls ate it quickly, one because they were starving, and two because they wanted to get out of there as soon as they could. Misao kept one eye on Gohei and another eye on the door.

"Kaoru," she whispered as Gohei looked around. "Quick, duck underneath the table."

Kaoru grabbed a cup full of French fries smothered with cheese and dipped beneath the table.

"What's going on?" She whispered. The floor wasn't especially clean and Kaoru didn't like crouching in tight places, especially if the ceiling had gum stuck to it.

She heard Misao gasp. "Uh oh, he saw me! Just keep quiet, I think he's coming over here."

As if on cue, heavy footsteps headed over to their table. All Kaoru could see was a pair of sandals and some very hairy, very ugly feet with pieces of fuzz stuck between the toes. Kaoru had the extreme urge to gag but chose not to since the man was standing right next to their table.

"I thought I saw you outside, Misao." The man said in a deep scratchy voice.

"It's Makimachi-san to you." She greeted coldly. "And what brings the likes of you all the way out here. You usually stay on the other end of the lake."

"I got a hunch that something is going down over here and I thought I'd check it out. Looking for something new." Gohei said gruffly. "By the way, I thought I saw another girl with you. Is she here? I'd like to meet her." The explicit undertones made Kaoru cringe.

"She's not here at the moment, sorry." Misao replied, avoiding eye contact.

"Oh but she was!" Gohei laughed. "Her food is still here."

"Well unless you want to go hunt for her in the ladies' room, you won't find her here. Now if you don't mind, I would like to finish eating in peace." Misao said, her words as sharp as ice.

Gohei laughed again. "Maybe I will go and check the ladies' room, thank you." And with that he walked off towards the bathroom.

Misao growled. "Isn't he suspicious? Come on, Kaoru. We're leaving."

Kaoru ducked out from beneath the table and crept out the front doors with Misao, leaving their trash on the table. Together they ran down to the pier and hastily untied their jet skis, zooming through the no wake zone and out of the cove.

"Should we return to the house?" Kaoru asked, still dressed in her flip flops and skirt and putting the sunglasses on her face.

Misao shook her head, zipping through the water. "No, he's probably even more suspicious now. He'll want to check out the estate next. But no worries, we'll just meet up with Okon and Omasu a little sooner than we had planned."

Kaoru nodded and followed Misao out to the main water and down stretches of water that they had passed through on their way there. They were pushing 55 mph zooming past mansions and catching the amused stares of passing boats. It wasn't long until they passed the cove in which the Himura Estate was in.

"It's not much longer…." Misao advised, standing on her jet ski and looking out ahead. Kaoru did the same. Misao abruptly swerved to the left, cutting in front of Kaoru who smashed into her wake. "Sorry!" Misao called back, slowing down to see if Kaoru was okay.

Kaoru smiled, water dripping from her hair. "That's what I get for splashing you earlier." She laughed.

Misao smiled too and beckoned Kaoru to follow her through an overhanging of trees that shielded this stretch of water from view. "The Aoiya is back here. This is where Aoshi and I train with the other ninjas. We're going to meet Okon and Omasu here and then go out tubing."

"Wouldn't that be risky?" Kaoru asked as they slowly made their way down the water.

"Everything is risky, Kaoru." Misao grinned, "But we're going tubing in this secluded place that's further down in front of us. He won't be able to find us."

"How do you know?" Kaoru asked, though it wasn't so much as a question as she was just smart-mouthing Misao.

Misao grinned wickedly. "Us girls go skinny dipping all the time out here. Believe me, if Gohei knew where this was, we would have noticed."

Kaoru laughed and looked up into the dense trees. It was so lovely and it smelled so nice. She looked out ahead and noticed what seemed to be an enormous log cabin and outdoor pavilion. There was a dock up ahead with a few boats and jet skis as well.

"This," Misao introduced, standing up on her jet ski, "Is the Aoiya."

They pulled up onto the dock and secured their jet skis. The atmosphere was pleasing and inviting. They walked up a path that lead up to the house and knocked on the back door. Kaoru made out two women approach the glass dressed in bikinis.

"Misao!" One said, throwing the door open wide. "You're early!"

The other smiled warmly at Kaoru. "You must be Kaoru. A pleasure to meet you. I'm Omasu, and she's Okon."

"Okon, you'll never guess who we saw!" Misao said, waving her hands in the air.

Okon smiled. "Who did you see? Not that Gohei…."

Both Kaoru and Misao nodded. "He was eating at the same place we were." Kaoru said.

"And I think he's suspicious of Kaoru!" Misao cried as if an entire plan were blown. Even Okon and Omasu exchanged worried glances.

"Well at least you two are safe here. Does Himura know where you are?" Okon asked.

Misao shook her head.

Omasu hissed. "He's not going to like that one bit. Let's just hope he doesn't know about Gohei."

Misao nodded energetically.

"Excuse me for asking," Kaoru but in guiltily, "But what would happen if Gohei knew about me before he should?"

Okon and Omasu stepped outside of the house and walked towards the dock. "Well, Gohei is a brute. He takes his work to heart and likes to sabotage anyone he can. He tried to do it to Misao last year, but Aoshi stepped in and settled things."

"By breaking his nose." Misao added cheerfully.

Omasu smiled and continued, "You see, he can use anything to manipulate you. Your clothes, your age, your background, anything. So it's better to let Megumi-san and Sanosuke-san do the talking and let them introduce you rather than having Gohei introduce you to the public."

"If Gohei did it, it would appear like some huge affair. That's not what Kenshin needs." Okon added helpfully.

Kaoru nodded, "Okay. I think I understand." But Kaoru still felt left in the dark. She didn't like the idea of being some girl that would just be shown off to the world. She didn't like the idea of being used. But at least Misao was around to make life fun. Kaoru wondered what it was like for Misao to endure all this by herself. Kaoru didn't think she could handle it.

Okon and Omasu had arrived at a boat with large tubes tied to the back. They lowered the boat into the water with Misao and Kaoru inside before jumping in the boat themselves. Okon took the wheel and steered the boat out of the dock and up stream to where this secluded lake was.

☼☼

☼☼

Kenshin stepped into a pair of swimming trunks and quickly exited the house. He had waited for three hours for the two girls' arrival and he was beginning to get a bad feeling. He swiftly made a direct path to his own jet ski. It had a white base with purple and gold stripes lining the side and his company logo spread on a red background.

Wasting no time and leaving his life jacket on the pier, he jumped on his jet ski and rushed out of the cove. There were a few boats around, and Kenshin quickly glanced around to see if any of them belonged to the Aoiya. He wasn't sure if Kaoru and Misao would still be on jet skis, or if they had already met up with Okon and Omasu.

Not recognizing any of the boats, he took a sharp turn to the left towards the Aoiya. He sped off, glancing for the hidden entrance to the Aoiya. He hadn't visited there via Jet Ski in a long time and prayed that he still recognized the entrance. Behind him he heard the insistent hum of a motor boat. It was unusual that it was going in the same direction as him since the buoys forbade tubing and fishing past Kenshin's cove.

He made a sharp turn to face the boat, acting as if he were to catch its wake. But the top was covered and he couldn't see the driver. There was a window in the back, but he was too low to see it. He circled the boat, which slowed immediately, and Kenshin jumped its wake, shooting high enough to see through the window. What he saw made his blood turn cold.

It was Gohei Hiruma: one of the nastiest photographers for the tabloids he had ever met, and one of the most ruthless as well. Kenshin could always be optimistic and think that Gohei was simply passing through the area. But Kenshin learned that it was more dangerous to be optimistic than pessimistic.

Kenshin quickly turned back towards his house, and the boat turned around to follow him. Kenshin's gut feeling was immediately confirmed; Gohei must suspect something different in the Himura Estate, or else he wouldn't risk being so close to Kenshin's property.

Kenshin could either turn around to go back to his house, which would make him seem even more suspicious, or try to out run Gohei, which almost everybody did on a daily basis.

Kenshin decided to do the latter. Lucky for Kenshin, Gohei attempted to enter the cove, leaving him very little room to maneuver.

Taking a tight turn, Kenshin quickly slipped past Gohei's boat. It would take a few minutes just for Gohei to turn around. Kenshin zoomed off and headed around a bend, the hidden entrance to the Aoiya just a few meters away. But he couldn't leave any marks that indicated he had gone through those branches, or else Gohei would follow.

Kenshin sped past the entrance, leaving a wake that turned another bend. Then he turned off his engine, praying that Gohei was still trying to maneuver his boat out of the tight corner he had put himself in. Kenshin hastily paddled towards the overhanging that covered the hidden entrance, leaving a very small ripple that quickly dissolved. Just as he let the branches droop around him, Gohei's boat rounded the bend and followed the previous wake marks Kenshin had made.

Once the boat was out of view, Kenshin flipped on his engine and sped off towards the Aoiya. 'Those girls have a lot of explaining to do.'

☼☼

☼☼

A/N: Sorry for the wait, I got back from the beach a couple days ago and my brain is still on vacation. Hopefully the next chapter will be up sooner than this….it's not quite finished yet but will be soon enough.

Please R & R!


	6. Suspicious

Hello everyone!

Please don't murder me for being soooo incredibly late with this story. But now that school's over, things will go a lot smoother.

Keep reading! 

Orphan's Paradise

By: Mystic Song

Chapter 4 – Dinner

It was Kaoru's turn to try. The tubes were already in the water. All Kaoru had to do was step over the edge and hop onto one of the tubes. But after seeing Misao flung off the tube by Omasu's expert driving, Kaoru was nervous to try.

Misao swam up to the boat and hoisted herself up onto a second tube. "Come on, Kaoru. It's really fun. I'll be here right next to you!"

"And I'll make sure to go easy on you!" Omasu called from the wheel.

Kaoru smiled weakly and slid out of the skirt she had put on. She cautiously stepped onto the small platform behind the boat and hopped onto one of the tubes. The boat started and tugged at the ropes tied to the tubes.

"Now hold on tight!" Misao warned just as Omasu pressed the gas.

The wind ripped through Kaoru's hair and she enjoyed the ride, watching the scenery whiz by.

"Omasu! You're going too easy on them!" Kaoru could hear Okon complain from within the boat.

The boat took a sudden turn, shoving Kaoru outside the wake and into rougher water. She hit a couple waves and bounced into the air, but her arms held her tight.

Misao was giggling and pointed at Kaoru, showing off how easy her ride was when Omasu took a turn in the opposite direction. Kaoru swung back into the wake and bumped Misao's tube, launching her outside of the wake. Misao screamed and clung tightly to her tube, her legs dangling off the side.

Omasu was about to make another round turn when Kaoru spotted a jet ski speeding into the open area. She pulled herself higher up onto her tube to get a better look and gasped. "M-Misao…." She sputtered.

Misao craned her neck around and she too gasped.

A gorgeous red haired man sped up to them on the Jet Ski. Kaoru was too engrossed with his chiseled body that when she rode up on the edge of the wake, she flew off.

The jet ski approached her faster than the boat did, and Kaoru felt herself being pulled up by two strong arms.

"Are you okay?" The man asked, his amethyst eyes glowing.

Kaoru felt like she was in a trance and wasn't sure she could answer. She had never heard him talk to her before, and his words were as smooth and as sweet as honey.

"Himura!" Okon called from the boat. "What are you doing here?"

Kenshin maneuvered Kaoru so that she was sitting in front of him. She held onto the handles and Kenshin placed his arms on top of hers. His sun kissed body was warm and comforting to the touch. He accelerated towards the idle boat and let it drift by its side. Kaoru was about to jump off of Kenshin's jet ski, but he tightened his hold around her.

"I just had a surprise encounter with Gohei." He said nonchalantly, eyeing each girl carefully and demanding an explanation.

Misao clambered up onto the boat with a guilty expression. "Kaoru and I were eating at that gas station and Gohei was there. He recognized me and came over to our table so I had Kaoru hide. Gohei wanted to know who Kaoru was and was hell bent on finding out. So when he went to search the bathrooms, we snuck out and left."

"Uh huh." Kenshin nodded and Kaoru could feel her face burn underneath his gaze. "Well I think it best that you and Miss Kaoru return to the estate. I will talk to you more there."

Misao's face turned red and she shrunk back into the boat.

Kenshin flipped on his engine and Kaoru turned around to face him. "Aren't you going to let me go with Misao? We have two jet skis here."

Kenshin gazed into Kaoru's defiant blue eyes. "Misao will leave by herself, drawing Gohei away from here if he still happens to be hanging around. Isn't that right, Misao?" Misao nodded at him and motioned for Omasu to take her to the dock. Kenshin watched the boat speed off before turning towards Kaoru. "You, Miss Kaoru, will follow me back to the house."

Kaoru was forced to face front as Kenshin took off towards the dock. "But I know how to get there myself!" Kaoru shouted back at him.

Kenshin chuckled in a way that made butterflies swarm her stomach, his chest brushing her back. A few minutes later, he pulled up to the dock, satisfied that Misao's jet ski had already left. He watched Kaoru carefully step onto the dock and untie her own jet ski, amused with her stubborn pout.

"I'm sure you can get back alright, but since I'm the better rider, you'll need my help in case you get into any more trouble." Kenshin said with playful undertones.

Kaoru cocked an eyebrow. "Is that so?" She started her jet ski and circled around Kenshin. "Let's go, then."

Kenshin moved out towards the middle of the lake and waited until Kaoru pulled up beside him. She did so, but made sure to splash him before speeding past him towards the overhang.

Kenshin was shocked and let a low chuckle cross his lips. "Okay, well if that's how you want to play…" His eyes flashed amber before he chased after Kaoru.

She was waiting just outside his cove, her hair falling out of its tie and spreading down her back. Her muscled arms were tan and her bright eyes were shining playfully, and aggressively. Kenshin was secretly thankful that there were no other boats around. They didn't need to see him chasing around a girl that was a few years younger than himself. But he couldn't resist.

Kenshin performed a few tight turns around Kaoru, expecting her to shrink back. But she stood up on her jet ski and watched him with a trained eye. He splashed her playfully, but she took that opportunity to accelerate rapidly and head towards Kenshin's dock. She launched off of a wave and was airborne, twisting around to stick her tongue out at Kenshin.

Kenshin jumped after her, landing right next to her and spraying some water onto her. She swerved around and drifted off to the dock, shedding her life jacket along the way.

Kenshin could feel his jaw drop and hoped that Kaoru didn't notice him gawking at her. Her body was fit and her skin creamy. He had the sudden desire to run his hands across her, to taste those smirking lips, to hear her pant beneath him.

"Kenshin?" Kaoru called from the dock. She noticed that his head was bowed, his bangs covering his eyes. When he lifted his head his eyes were gleaming amber, much different from the playful amethyst from earlier. She was shocked but not intimidated, rather she was curious. The way he was looking at her was terrifying, but not because it posed a threat. She couldn't place the emotion that crossed his eyes. Hungry? Possessive? Did she cause that?

Kenshin had pulled up to the dock as Kaoru stood dumbfounded. He looked at her and chuckled, amused at her furrowed brow and clouded eyes. "Kaoru," he said, his voice dropping octaves.

She jerked her head up and smiled. "Took you long enough." She flipped her hair around and headed up the path back towards the house without a second glance. She breathed out a sigh of relief as many thoughts and emotions swarmed her mind. But her breath got caught in her throat when she felt a firm hand grab her wrist.

"Put some clothes on and meet me in the lounge." It was more of a demand than a request and Kaoru nodded out of shock rather than agreement before jogging up to the house and up to her room.

Kenshin meanwhile stayed behind on the dock to tell Misao to meet them in the lounge as well.

"What happened out there, Gohei?" A sinister voice jeered as a burly man stumbled into the dark room in defeat.

A shard of light illuminated Gohei's eyes, dark and full of fear. "She wasn't there. She went missing. That Makimachi-son-of-a-bitch was hiding her. Do they suspect us?"

The man hissed and slammed his hand on the desk. "If they didn't they wouldn't be hiding from you, would they?"

Gohei cringed and bowed. "I am sorry, please forgive me. It will not happen again. I will succeed."

The man straightened and the light caught his eyes. "Unfortunately, you will not have another opportunity to act until next week. You are dismissed."

Gohei breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, master." And he quickly left the room.

"This is not over." The man growled.

Kaoru flipped on her shower and quickly went through the motions of washing her hair and body. She didn't want to be the last one to show up in the lounge. She wished that she could enjoy the luxuries of the bathroom that day, but she supposed it would just have to wait until tomorrow.

As the water rinsed the suds from her hair, she reflected back to her and Kenshin's playful bout. She wondered how Kenshin could be so stiff one day, like at dinner, and then throw his cares away the next. If anything, Kenshin should be more uptight in public so he wouldn't do anything stupid. He probably shouldn't have even been outside to get her and Misao. But he did. He risked his image to save hers.

Kaoru slapped her forehead. 'This is not how things are supposed to be.' She thought. 'I'm supposed to be saving his image!'

But Kaoru was glad that he had gone out to get her. He showed her a different side that she liked, one that she could fool around with and enjoy herself with. If only he acted like that more often than maybe she would actually enjoy herself while trying to save Kenshin's image.

'But,' she thought as she stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, "He showed me a dangerous side as well.' She quickly toweled her hair dry and slipped on a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt. The heated golden stare Kenshin had given her sent chills through her body. Kaoru had never seen anything like it in her life, and she was curious to see what sparked Kenshin's change in emotion. Fastening her damp hair into a ponytail, she walked out of her room.

She didn't see Misao on the steps though Kaoru did see Misao's Jet Ski was docked at the pier. Kaoru rounded a couple rooms before she reached the lounge. Several couches were arranged with a coffee table in the middle and an empty fireplace on the far wall. A television hung in the corner and a bar sat empty in the back. There was nobody there yet, so Kaoru didn't feel guilty when she sprawled out on the couch. These were hard wood floors; she could hear a person coming a mile away.

"Boo." A deep voice said softly but still managed to scare Kaoru.

She sprang up from her position on the couch and came face to face with Kenshin. "Don't do that!" She scolded, clenching her fist to her side to resist the urge of slapping Kenshin upside the head.

Kenshin chuckled and sat beside her on the couch. Kaoru preferred this mood over the uptight one he displayed at dinner the night before. She sat up straight on the couch and looked around the room. "Where's Misao?"

"Should be here any second." Kenshin said, his arm draped casually behind Kaoru on the edge of the couch.

Just then a girl came sliding across the hardwood floors. "Ta-daa!" Misao crowed as she skidded to a halt in front of Kenshin and Kaoru.

Kaoru giggled and made room for Misao on the couch next to her as Kenshin stood up. He paced around for a minute, his expression thoughtful, and Kaoru and Misao exchanged worried glances.

"Now, I understand that this is Miss Kaoru's first time here, and you two are eager to get out and explore, but it is really too dangerous to let you two run around by yourselves." Kenshin berated, still pacing between the couch and the coffee table.

Kaoru scrunched her nose and Misao folded her arms. "I thought that now would be the best time to take Kaoru out since the press would have no idea she was here." Misao protested.

"And we have no idea who is out to get me and whether or not they know that Miss Kaoru is here." Kenshin replied just as easily. "I do not want to risk the safety of Miss Kaoru or you."

Misao stuck her tongue out at Kenshin and mumbled something along the lines of, "We don't need no protection."

Kenshin sighed and plopped back down on the couch next to Kaoru. "What do you say we do something fun. Inside."

"Like what?" Kaoru asked, folding her legs beneath her.

"Let's….make cookies." Kenshin suggested.

Misao shot up eagerly. "Oh, can we?"

"As long as I don't have to do any actual baking…" Kaoru said.

Kenshin looked at Kaoru quizzically before leading the two girls down to the kitchen.


	7. Bowling

Orphan's Paradise

By Mystic Song

Chapter 7 - Bowling

Disclaimer- I do not own RK or Disney or any other brand mentioned!!

~*~*~*~

Kaoru skipped around the kitchen, pulling out the ingredients that Misao shouted at her in order to make those delicious chocolate chip cookies. Kaoru threw open the pantry doors as Misao rambled off the ingredients, "brown sugar, eggs, butter, vanilla…" Kaoru frantically skimmed the pantry, which was stuffed with just about everything possible. It was like a freakin grocery store. Where was the brown sugar? Where did it go? If you were brown sugar, where would you be? A few Domino labels stood out down on the third rack and Kaoru crouched down to find the confectioner's sugar, the light brown sugar, and then finally the brown sugar! She grabbed it and tossed it onto the table behind her.

'What else did Misao say?' Kaoru tapped her finger thoughtfully against her chin as she skimmed the shelves. 'Eggs, butter…those are in the fridge. And vanilla?' Her eyes landed on a few stacks of icing, one labeled vanilla. She grabbed it and turned to toss it to Misao. Only Kenshin got in the way.

"Oro?" Kenshin squeaked as the vanilla icing smacked him upside the head. He picked it up and looked at it questioningly, his surprised look settling into one of confusion. "What's this for?"

"Misao said vanilla, didn't she?" Kaoru smiled innocently, walking over to where Misao stood with a large bowl and mixer.

Kenshin arched an eyebrow. "That she did, but not icing Kaoru. Extract. Vanilla extract." Kenshin shook his head and put the icing back on the shelf, grabbing the small bottle of vanilla before leaving the pantry. When he walked back to the table, his eyes bulged as he saw that Kaoru was reaching for a third egg to crack and empty into the bowl. He lunged forward and grabbed her wrist. "Kaoru!"

She looked back at him questioningly. "Misao said I could crack the eggs."

"Only two eggs!" Misao giggled as she took the egg from Kaoru and put it back in the carton.

Kaoru pouted and folded her arms.

Kenshin sighed. "Go get the sugar and bring it over here then."

Kaoru nodded and waltzed over to the table. But as she went to reach for the sugar, the kitchen door opened and a tall figure collided into her back, sending Kaoru flying to the ground, the bag of sugar exploding into her face. "Mou!" Kaoru huffed from the floor, her bangs tinged white from the sugar. Kenshin was sniggering and Misao lunged across the kitchen to berate the intruder.

"Aoshi Shinomori!" Misao screeched, her arms flailing about her. "What are you thinking? Rushing into this kitchen like that. What if Kaoru was holding a knife! You should know better than to barge into a kitchen! No matter what business you have!"

Aoshi laid a hand on Misao's shoulder, hushing her immediately. "Kenshin, may I have a word?" Kenshin's playful façade fell instantly as he solemnly exited the kitchen with Aoshi at his side.

"What's with the ice man?" Kaoru grumbled as she dusted herself off.

Misao looked quizzically at the door that Kenshin and Aoshi had walked through. "I have no idea. Must have been something important." She turned back to the bowl and turned the mixer on. "Those two, I swear. Sometimes it's just all business. No wonder the public hates them. And those icy exteriors that they have all the time, it took me ages to just get Aoshi to even look at me." Kaoru frowned and handed the sugar to Misao as she angrily mixed it in with the other ingredients. "You're off to a good start, though, Kaoru. At least Kenshin acknowledges you."

"But only in an objectifying way." Kaoru growled. "I'm not some possession, some toy that can fix everything."

"No Kaoru, you're not a toy. You're human." Misao said softly. "That's why they brought us here. Because we can feel, because we can have fun, because we're human." With that, she dumped in the chocolate chips and let Kaoru lick one of the beaters when she was done mixing.

~*~*~*~*~

Kenshin sat down in his study, Aoshi leaning against one of the armchairs. "What did you have to tell me?" Kenshin asked, hands folded in his lap.

"I have someone tracking Gohei to find his informant." Aoshi replied calmly.

"And?" Kenshin asked, his hands tensing together.

"And they followed him back to Juppon-Inc. Where Tomoe was employed under Kamatari."

Kenshin sighed. "Is that so? Do you think that the owner of Juppon-Inc is behind Tomoe-san's death?"

"Soujiro-san may just be giving an interview. Just because Gohei went there does not mean that Sourjiro was the one who tipped him off, though it is very likely. It is possible that Soujiro only gave Gohei a lead as to Kamiya's purpose here, and had nothing to do with Tomoe's death." Aoshi replied.

Kenshin leaned back. "Yes, it is best to look at all sides of the problem. Thank you for telling me, and keep me updated."

Aoshi nodded curtly and left Kenshin in his study to think.

~*~*~*~*~

Kaoru let out a groan of frustration, throwing her arms up into the air and balling her hands into fists. She was still wearing that ridiculous outfit Megumi had dressed her up in that morning, her head was still reeling from all the camera flashes from the press conference that afternoon, and she was infuriated by Kenshin's cool behavior that evening. Kaoru flipped on the television in her room for background noise as she paced around.

"The Himura household takes on a new member this morning. Kaoru Kamiya, an orphan from the downtown area, has been invited to stay with Kenshin Himura at his estate for the next few months as an act of charity." Buzzed the voice of a newscaster over the television. Kaoru paused in her pacing to see pictures of her dressed in that stupid pink plaid skirt, white polo, white flats and a pink ribbon in her hair. She was the epitome of preppy-ness. She was standing shyly outside the Himura Mansion, her eyes bulging wide from shock and the blush on her cheeks matching the ribbon in her hair. Kenshin stood nonchalantly beside her, hands dug into his slacks, his button up shirt revealing his chest, his bright hair pulled back in a ponytail. Kaoru slapped her forehead. Boy, did she look like an idiot. And her whole figure clashed with his. She looked so stupid, so little, so naïve, standing next to someone whose ego was the size of Texas. Quickly realizing that she was still wearing that dreadful pink outfit, Kaoru quickly ripped it off and chucked it at the television before stomping over to her closet to pick out her pajamas.

"To follow the development between Himura and his new guest, log onto Entertainment Tonight and you'll find pictures, videos, and more." The newscaster persisted. Kaoru stuck her head out of her closet and growled. Kaoru reached for the closest thing by her, which happened to be the flats she wore that morning, and chucked it at the television, successfully turning the annoying set off. She then grabbed an oversized t-shirt from her closet and clambered into bed, burying herself under the covers.

Screwing her eyes shut, she willed sleep to come fast, but of course it didn't. Instead, moments from the press invasion flooded her mind. The awkward questions as to the relationship between Kaoru and Kenshin, the numerous hints to how cute it would be for Kenshin to fall for his ward, the not-so-innocent comments about Kaoru's shabby background, and the many upcoming events and opportunities that Kaoru would be presented to the public. Everyone was judging her. Not just everyone present at the conference, but the thousands of people that saw her through every camera flash and streaming video. The whole world had access to her, had the opportunity to judge her and to see her fail. The day's events showed her just how much of an object she was. How she was just a tool in Himura's scheme. Despite Misao's friendliness, and that playful bout between Himura and herself the day before, it wasn't real. She was here to work, to fix Himura's image, to be used as a means to an end.

Tears stung at the back of her eyes. She could not afford to screw this up. Kaoru had to pull through. She didn't want to be sent home. Well, it's not like she could go home anyway since there was no home to return to. She was too old for Yumi's orphanage, yet unable to provide for herself. She had to stay. She had to be used. She was just a means to an end.

~*~*~*~*~*~

Sunlight filtered through the slightly open window, a light breeze drifting through to ruffle Kaoru's messy bangs. With a loud yawn, Kaoru pushed the covers down and slid out of bed. She walked over to the window and was welcomed with the sight of a bright clear sky and chirping birds. The lake was shimmering and you could hear children squealing and laughing off in the distance.

Kaoru sauntered over to her closet and pulled on a pair of bright yellow Bermuda shorts and a blue t-shirt, drawing her hair up in a matching yellow ribbon. She hummed her own little theme song as she went through the motions in the bathroom before skipping out of her room and down the front steps.

The front windows were open to let the wind drift in and Kaoru paused on the bottom step to enjoy the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the breeze. For such a crappy day yesterday, this day was surely making up for it. Footsteps echoed from the slim hallway next to the stairs and Kaoru froze. Just as she expected, an egotistical redhead emerged from the hallway, his posture rigid and his head buried in a manila folder.

Kaoru laughed out loud, causing Kenshin to look up from his book and do a double take. "Well aren't you cheery today?" Kenshin stated, his tone bitter.

Kaoru quirked her mouth to one side and furrowed her eyebrows. "And why are you not cheery? It's gorgeous outside!" She skipped to the front door and was about to open it when she felt something grasp her ponytail. Hard. "Gah! What do you think you're doing?!" She cried, wildly flailing her arms about her.

Kenshin tugged Kaoru back from the door and released her. "You can not go outside today." He said simply, his piercing eyes berating her.

"And why not?" Kaoru scowled.

"Because there's too much press around." He replied just as tersely. "we don't want you to make a fool out of yourself just yet."

Kaoru was just about to throw the door open anyways when the handle turned and Sano slid inside, lights flashing all around his head and something grabbing at his clothing. "Man, the press is really all over the place. Security can barely manage them." Sano said, wiping off the sweat from his brow. "Oh, hey Missy."

Kenshin gave Kaoru a pointed look that clearly said, "I told you so."

Kaoru growled and pivoted on her foot to go find Misao.

"What's wrong now?" Sano asked, bemused, giving Kenshin one of those "I know it wasn't her fault it was yours" look.

"She wanted to go outside." Kenshin shrugged, turning his attention back to his manila folder.

Sano drew a fish bone from his pocket and dangled it from his mouth. "Hm, maybe I could take Jou-chan and the Weasel over to the Aoiya for a bit. It's such a perfect day outside."

"No." Kenshin said flatly, starting to walk off again.

"Eh?" Sano asked. "What's the deal? The press can't get into the Aoiya."

"No." Kenshin repeated, not waiting for Sano to catch up with him.

Sano sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Geez." He then strolled off in search of Megumi.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"I'm sooo bored!" Misao whined obnoxiously. She was swinging around in her stool, twirling a fudge-sickle.

"I know." Kaoru agreed, eyeing her fudge-sickle thoughtfully. "What can we do besides eat ourselves into obesity?"

Misao huffed and stopped twirling. Suddenly, her eyes lit up and she popped up and out of her chair faster than a jack-in-the-box. "I know! Follow me!"

Kaoru didn't have time to argue as she was dragged out of the kitchen and over to the main entrance. "I was snooping a while back and I found this closet that has a bunch of old stuff in it. And you would never believe what I found. I think it belonged to Kenshin at one point, or maybe even Aoshi-sama, though I can't see Aoshi getting into Disney and Mickey Mouse."

"Huh?" Kaoru was baffled. What did Kenshin have to do with Disney? She didn't remember him being in any Disney movies…

Once they entered the entrance hall, Misao slowed down to a tiptoe, beckoning Kaoru to follow her. Misao placed a single finger to her lips and rounded the corner to enter the long, dark, slim hallway that they both knew was off limits. Kaoru's heart leaped into her throat: the fact that this area was off limits made it all the more alluring. Misao lurked forward down the hallway as Kaoru hung slightly behind her, keeping a look out for unwanted company. Kaoru was disappointed, however, when Misao stopped only halfway down the hall at a tall closet door. She soundlessly drew the door open to reveal old blankets, sleeping bags, a fire pit, a couple crates, and a cardboard box with something that was bright orange and yellow sticking out of the top. Misao reached up to grab the box and then dashed out of the hall, jerking her head for Kaoru to follow.

Together they raced out of the hallway, past the kitchen, and down an aisle that lead to a deserted conference room. Misao opened the curtained glass doors and stepped inside, dumping the contents of the box onto the ground. "Tada!" She shouted triumphantly, pointing to what appeared to be a variety of oddly shaped pillows.

"What is it?" Kaoru asked, bending down to note that Mickey Mouse's face was plastered to every 'pillow,' accompanied by some other Disney character.

"Bowling! You see, those are the pins, and these are the balls." Misao answered eagerly. "I figure that Kenshin had this when he was younger. He looks like a kid that could have grown up on Disney."

Kaoru's eyes lit up. "Oh, I love bowling! And I love Disney! Oh this is so cool!"

"I know, right?" Misao said, picking up the pins and walking to the far side of the room. "Come help me set this up. Thank goodness this has hardwood floors. This is gonna work so well! Nobody will disturb us in here!"

Kaoru and Misao quickly set to work, not that it took much work to set up six fluffy pins and two tiny balls. They took turns rolling the balls across the room to knock down the pins, which were actually quite difficult to knock over. Kaoru was on a winning streak when the glass doors flapped open and a huge figure wearing a cape lumbered in.

Both Kaoru and Misao froze in mid victory pose to eye the intruder. "Hiko-san," they whispered in embarrassment.

Hiko eyed them quizzically. "What are you girls doing in here? Don't you know that we're ha—wait a minute. Is that Disney Bowling?"

Misao nodded energetically as Kaoru handed over her bowling ball. "Yeah! We found it in this closet, you see, we were just looking around because we were so bored you know so we found it and just decided that it would be fun to play." Misao babbled.

"Hah, you know I was pretty good at this." Hiko said, rolling up his sleeves. "Step aside to see the master at work."

Needless to say, the game became pretty intense very quickly. Misao was convinced that a round house kick followed by a back handed roll guaranteed a strike while Kaoru never missed when she skidded forward on her knees, rolling the ball while simultaneously blowing a kiss with the other hand. Hiko, however, was the most extravagant out of them all. With a power leap forward, he would twist in the air and chuck the cushiony bowling ball down onto the ground, colliding and knocking away all of the pins.

"That's cheating!" Kaoru cried, leaping up to stick her finger into Hiko's chest. "You can't just throw the ball on top of the pins, you have to roll it into the pins. This makes you disqualified. You lose."

"Now you see here," Hiko replied hotly, his finger jabbing Kaoru's shoulder. "I was the one that bought this game, therefore I know how to play it, and I say that this is a perfectly legal move."

~*~*~*~*~*~

Kenshin checked the clock hanging on the wall as he walked through the house. He was going to hold a quick meeting between himself and some members of the household to organize the upcoming public dinner. But Seijuro had asked Kenshin to come just a few minutes earlier so they could discuss some business. Kenshin thought that he was late when he arrived at the glass doors to hear Hiko shouting, "…I say that this a perfectly legal move!"

Kenshin hesitantly pushed the door open to find Hiko and Kaoru at each other's throats. "Oro?" Kenshin deadpanned.

Both Kaoru and Hiko turned to look at Kenshin oddly before returning to their argument. Misao rushed over to Kenshin, "Hey, you okay? Oh I know, you should play with us!"

"It would be pointless." Hiko butted in. "There is no way that baka deshi could win, I taught him everything he knows."

"Including that big ego of yours?" Kaoru snipped, grabbing the bowling ball away from Hiko and chucking it at Kenshin. "Come on, Kenshin, show us what you got."

Kenshin held both his hands up defensively. "Now, I don't think that would be a good idea, that I don't. We're supposed to have a business meeting in a few minutes, that we are."

"Stop being such a wimp. Since when did you become all apologetic?" Kaoru stated, advancing towards Kenshin.

Someone cleared their voice by the open door and Shishio walked in. "Oh my, what's going on here?" He said, stepping around Kenshin to seat himself at the table.

Misao sweat dropped and rushed to pick the pins up. "We were just leaving. Hope you guys have a wonderful meeting! Go get busy!" She then forcefully tugged at Kaoru. "Come on, Kaoru, let's go!"

"Hey, wait a minute!" Kaoru called out as Misao dragged her away by her shirt. "I wasn't finished!"

Hiko chuckled and braced himself against the door. "You know, Himura, I really like the girl. Great choice, Makato."

Shishio grinned. "Of course, sir. Only the best for you."

Kenshin 'hmphed' and plopped down at the table. "So about that match that Aoshi proposed?"

~*~*~*~*~*~

"Guess what's going on tomorrow night?" Misao called out to Kaoru. Kaoru was sprawled out across the couch in the living room but at the sound of an event she jumped up too eagerly.

'"Something's going on? You mean I can leave the house? What is it, Misao, tell me!" Kaoru asked. She had been cooped up in this house for two days, unable to leave or even take a walk outside. She didn't care if this involved Kaoru modeling Sound of Music themed lingerie or reciting a Shakespearean soliloquy in front of the press, as long as she got to leave the house and do something.

Misao waved two tickets in front of her face and Kaoru snatched at them playfully. "These are two tickets to a match!" Misao said as dramatically as if they were front-row seats to the best selling Broadway show in existence.

"A match?" Kaoru asked, noticing that Aoshi's name was plastered all over the ticket.

"Yup!" Misao beamed. "Aoshi-sama will be fighting against a competitor named Usui for the title of the strongest tomorrow night. It should be really good, even though I know my Aoshi-sama is going to win."

Kaoru grinned. She used to spar when she was very little, so this would be very interesting. "Sounds like fun!"

"Oh I can't wait. I think I'll go pick out my outfit for it now. Will you look it over, please?" Misao rambled.

"You're picking your outfit out already? Is this some classy event?" Kaoru asked, worried. She hoped that Megumi wouldn't come in and try to dress her up again.

"Oh no, no, no, it's not classy. I just want to look amazing in that casual I-just-woke-up-but-look-incredibly-sexy-yet-classy-so-that-you'd-want-to-take-me-out-to-dinner-before-taking-me-to-bed way." Misao said all dreamy eyed.

"Oh, well, that sounds complicated." Kaoru said thoughtfully. "Who are you trying to get into bed anyway? Aoshi's going to be fighting, not looking at you."

"But he'll be able to see me from where he's fighting, and that one look that he'll give me will make him think of how much he loves me!" Misao cried, hugging her chest.

"Sounds romantic and all, but wouldn't that distract Aoshi from the match? He could lose because of that." Kaoru said matter-of-factly.

The look on Misao's face was one similar to a kid who just realized that there was no Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, nor Tooth Fairy. "Oh no! I can't make him lose!" Her eyes started to water dramatically. "Oh, the pressure of being beautiful! Now I have to look invisible yet completely alluring so that Aoshi-sama will see nobody but me _after_ the match."

Kaoru slapped a hand to her face and collapsed onto the couch. Now Misao was starting to get her worked up on what to wear. How to impress the press yet live up to Kenshin's killer sex appeal and not look skanky and wanting to get into Kenshin's pants, which is not what she was here to do anyway.

Together, the two girls bounded up the steps to their separate rooms to pick out their outfits. Kaoru walked over to the stereo and turned on some tunes that she could jam out to while picking out some clothes. First thing that came on, however, was a track from the Sweeney Todd soundtrack- Poor Thing. She waltzed around her closet, pulling out dresses and spinning around the room in time to the music. When the music became harsher, she pulled out several hats, stuffing them on her head and wrapping scarves around her neck. She prowled around her room, jumping in front of the mirror and startling herself. Kaoru rushed to her stereo and started to blast the music so that Misao may be able to hear it as well. Kaoru then found a masquerade mask in a drawer full of accessories and put that on as well before scampering out of her room and barging into Misao's.

Misao screamed at the masked intruder and threw her kunai, pinning the tail of Kaoru's scarf to the door. "Hey!" Kaoru objected, taking the scarf off and letting it hang there on the door. "I was just having some fun!"

Misao's heart was racing 100 miles a minute and she was taking big gulping breaths to calm herself down. "Kaoru, you scared me! I was in this mood, and then your music turned on and made me jump and then you came jumping in!"

Kaoru grinned and started prancing around Misao's room as Frank Sinatra's New York, New York came on. She rushed into Misao's closet and brought a hangar of a green ball gown over her head and a bright pink boa to wrap around her neck. "C'mon, Misao, play along!"

Misao giggled and grabbed a ridiculously puffy yellow gown that looked like it came out of Beauty and the Beast and a spotted umbrella. Together they danced around the room, doing the cancan and stacking furniture to clamber up on. "King of the hill!" Misao crowed. "Top of the list!" Kaoru shouted. Together they finished the song at the top of their lungs, standing on top of chairs that were stacked on top of Misao's bed.

"Come on, come through New York, New York!" Misao and Kaoru finished with energetic jazz fingers. Once the song ended Misao and Kaoru collapsed into a fit of giggles as they waited for the next song to come on.

An electric guitar came through the speakers and both Misao and Kaoru froze when they recognized the tune. "The Killers." Misao whispered. "Mr. Brightside." Kaoru said just as eagerly.

They started shuffling to the beat and Kaoru motioned to her room to grab some more clothes to throw on. Without wasting a beat, Kaoru pulled on a pair of rubber ducky rain boots, a handful of beaded necklaces, threw the dress aside and pulled on the pink plaid skirt on top of her sweat pants and a bright orange bikini top on top of her tank top. She dashed out into the hallway to find Misao in leg warmers, girl swimming trunks, her t-shirt pulled up and tucked into the neck of her shirt, and a scarf wrapped like a turban in her hair.

They didn't bother to go back into one of their rooms, just stood on top of the steps to play air guitar and jump wildly to the beat. They grabbed each other's hands and twirled together in circles and started miming the words. "Turning her sick lullabies, chocking on her alibis!" Soon the mimes turned into crude hand movements and they were screaming the words. "He takes off her dress now" and Kaoru lifted the back of her skirt as if to moon Misao.

"Jou-chan!" Sano laughed from the bottom of the steps. "I didn't know you were like that!"

The girls froze in their dancing and the song ended to be replaced by Led Zepplin's Dazed and Confused. The girls started laughing.

Sano shook his head and sauntered up the steps, the music putting emphasis behind his every movement. "You were just the two girls I was looking for. I'm supposed to talk to you about the match we're going to tomorrow."

"Oh we know all about that!" Misao winked at Sano, flashing the two tickets.

Sano grabbed at them. "So that's what happened to them. And here I thought I'd hafta pull a few more strings cause I lost two tickets. Thanks Misao. That would have put me in a lot of trouble with the big man." He said, jerking his finger at a portrait of Kenshin that was displayed haughtily in the entrance hall.

Kenshin sneezed and stumbled into the entrance hall. "Someone talking about me?" He asked innocently up at the group.

"Us? Never." Sano drawled, throwing his head back nonchalantly and chuckling.

Kenshin shot him a disbelieving look before climbing the stairs to join them. Kaoru suddenly became very aware of the rain boots, the skirt, and the bikini top she had on.

"Whoa, what happened here?" Kenshin asked, nodding in the direction of the scarf that was still pinned to Misao's door.

"Oh, uh, we were trying on outfits for tomorrow night. We were wondering what we should wear." Misao flushed.

"Hopefully you're not wearing _that_." Kenshin motioned to the two outfits they were wearing.

"No of course not!" Kaoru said quickly, blushing.

"Oh, I dunno Kenshin. I think they should! Then everyone would be wearing it tomorrow!" Sanosuke grinned before receiving two smacks from both Kaoru and Misao. "As I was saying," Sano said, clearing his throat and giving the two girls a pointed look, "I was just coming up here to talk to you about what's going on tomorrow. But now that Kenshin's here, he can just tell you himself!"

Kenshin shot Sano a death glare and muttered something along the lines of "That's not what I hired you for…" Sano patted Kenshin's back good-naturedly and leaned against the stair banister. "Any time now," Sano prompted.

Kenshin sighed and scratched the back of his head. "Well, you see, we have front-row seats for Aoshi's match tomorrow, and since it's a big deal we're going to see the match at 7, then go out to a club afterwards to celebrate."

"Won't Aoshi be tired from the match?" Kaoru asked.

"Maybe. But he hardly goes out with us anyway." Kenshin shrugged.

"What?" Kaoru asked. "You're going to celebrate his match without him?"

Kenshin nodded. "Well, yeah. Isn't that what normal people do? Like after the Superbowl or Wimbledon, they go out and celebrate."

"But that's different. You're actually friends with Aoshi!" Kaoru protested.

"That's never stopped Kenshin before." Misao grinned. "Anyway, wouldn't it be fun to get out, Kaoru?"

Kaoru got all jittery at the thought of leaving the house. "Hell yes. Ok, I'll stop arguing."

"Good girl." Sano said, earning him another punch from Kaoru.

"Well I've got some more work to do. Have a good night and see you girls tomorrow." Kenshin said, descending the stairs. The group waved goodbye and dispersed into their respective rooms to finish the night.

~*~*~*~*~

Six o'clock rolled around and Kaoru sat in Misao's room, waiting to leave. She decided to wear a pair of hip hugging designer jeans and sandals, a white tube top that clung to her like a second skin, the bottom of the shirt ending at her hips. She wore her hair pulled back underneath a cap that looked like it came out of Oliver Twist and large hoop earrings. Tae came in earlier to fix her makeup; she looked flawless. Tae was just finishing Misao up, who looked much more erotic with her black shorts, green heels that had straps winding around her calves, a matching green halter top that was gathered at the top and hung at her hips, a large droopy necklace and studs. Her hair was gathered and bunched so that it flared out of her clip, and her make up included long lashes and swooping eye shadow that curled up at the corners of her eyes. Kaoru would have thought it to be overdone, but this was Kenshin she was talking about. She was in high-class society, where everyone tried to out do the other.

A few minutes later, once Tae had finished, the front doors to the house opened and someone had announced that the limos were ready. Kaoru sighed and walked with Misao down the stairs, the sight of Megumi, Sano, and Kenshin stopping her heart. Sano was wearing a pair of white carpi's and a tight grey tank that had a hood in the back that showed off his sculpted chest and arms. Megumi wore a dress that ended right at her thighs, the neck plunging down past her stomach with skimpy strings that strung the front together similar to a bodice. She wore golden heels and a matching golden beaded necklace. And Kenshin, he was simply gorgeous. He wore a pair of faded jeans that hung low on his hips with a wide black belt, and a thick, white collared shirt that wasn't buttoned all the way and was tucked into his jeans, his hair was pulled back underneath a backwards cap, his bangs flaring out and to the side.

"What's wrong, Jou-chan?" Sano called Kaoru out on her stupefied expression. "Haven't you ever seen a bunch of beautiful people before?"

"N-no," Kaoru answered honestly, suddenly wondering whether or not she was dressed up enough.

As if reading her thoughts, Megumi elbowed Sano in the side and said quickly, "Well you look gorgeous, Kaoru. Modest, but gorgeous."

Kaoru bowed her head to hide her blush and allowed Sano to escort her outside. The amount of press that swarmed the gate was like entering a storm. Unlike Kenshin, who had lifted his head to face the crowd of press, Kaoru shied away, allowing the tilted brim of her cap to shield part of her face.

"Let's go, Kaoru." Kenshin urged Kaoru along gently, touching her arm softly to usher her along into the limo that sat waiting.

A tiny smile graced Kaoru's lips and she felt more than saw the flash of cameras capture the small action.

Inside the stretch limo, the girls sat at the front while the boys sat at the back. Kaoru sat comfortably in between Megumi and Misao, looking at them with awe.

"What are you staring at, tanuki?" Megumi asked Kaoru.

Kaoru was taken aback since she hadn't realized that she was staring. "I didn't know that people could look this pretty." She replied honestly.

"Well, I don't mean to be rude," Megumi said matter-of-factly, "But you did come from a little run down orphanage that had you wearing rags for most of your life. Of course this change of scenery is going to be shocking."

Kaoru frowned. "That's not what I meant. And just because I come from a little run down orphanage doesn't mean I don't know how to dress!"

"Amen!" Sano had interjected from the other side of the limo. Kaoru glared at him before turning back to Megumi.

"What I meant was that even people that dress up don't look this pretty. There's just something about the aura." Kaoru thought aloud.

Misao smiled. "I know what you mean. I felt it too when I first came here, but it grows on you. Pretty soon you won't even notice it any more, it just becomes natural, and by then you'll be doing it too."

Megumi looked baffled. "What are you two talking about?"

"I noticed it when I first saw you and Sano." Kaoru confessed. "The way you walked, it was not just confident and self-assured-- it was something almost materialistic."

Misao nodded. "It's like going to a fancy restaurant where on one side you have the aspiring actors and actresses and on the other you have the George Clooney's and Julia Roberts'. And it's not just in the knowledge that they know that they are or are not famous, but it's in the clothes. Like, people that just dress up for fun let the clothes own them; they look pretty because of the clothes. But not you guys. You know you're 'it' and therefore you rule not only your clothes, but the people around you."

Megumi looked shell-shocked. "I didn't know the weasel had it in her."

Misao crossed her arms and pouted childishly, causing Megumi to laugh.

Kaoru looked down the limo at Kenshin. So in order to save Kenshin's image, she would have to be on his level. She would have to pull off this image that demanded the attention of her audience so that they wouldn't be judging her, they would be admiring her and listening to her. But it wasn't just an image she'd have to pull off, it was the whole package: personality, looks, everything. And she'd have to do all of this while still remaining true to herself. Kenshin caught her eye and Kaoru quickly looked away, watching Misao argue animatedly with Megumi. But then again, Kaoru thought, Misao had managed to do it. She succeeded. That gave Kaoru hope that she could do the same.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Hey everybody, been a while hasn't it… I apologize profusely for those of you who really enjoy this story and had to wait so long for an update. I appreciate all of your reviews, and I mean each and every one of them! Please continue to read and review, they are so uplifting!


	8. Let's Get It Started

Orphan's Paradise

Chapter 8

Let's Get It Started

Disclaimer: I do not own RK!

Kaoru sat, frozen to her seat in the safe confines of the limo. There was a red carpet outside. A freakin red carpet. And she was going to walk down that red carpet. With movie star Kenshin Himura. Kenshin and a red carpet. In heels. In front of lots of people with cameras. A red carpet, with Kenshin, in heels, in front of way too many people.

Shit.

The door to the limo was already opening and immediately the inside of the limo was illuminated by hundreds of camera flashes. Sanosuke and Megumi elegantly stepped out, smiling confidently as they did so. Kaoru looked at them with envy. They looked so perfect together. Then Misao slid on out and hopped out of the limo, regardless of the dangerous heels she was wearing, waving at the cameras enthusiastically. Then Kenshin slid out to enormous applause and Kaoru felt the world sink as she realized she was to go next. Kenshin cleared his throat to grab Kaoru's attention, signaling that it was her turn to go. Her stomach clenched tightly and her heart leapt into her throat. Knowing that she didn't have a choice, and that it would be better to get it done and over with, she took Kenshin's hand and let him pull her out of the limo.

The sensation of having so many people cheer for you had her heart racing and adrenaline pumping. She could feel her hands shaking inside Kenshin's and then blushed when she realized that he hadn't let go. Her breath rose and fell unsteadily. Her eyes were bright and wide.

Kenshin's head dipped down next to hers and Kaoru was proud that she didn't jump back in alarm. "Just breathe, Kaoru. Smile, and breathe." She felt his hand leave hers and then wind around her waist. Kaoru promptly shivered at his touch. Kenshin, who seemed to feel her shiver, sent her a wicked grin in return. Kaoru quickly averted her eyes to all of the screaming fans with outstretched hands. With Kenshin's confidence at her side, she felt the noise of the crowd ebb away and she was able to walk down the red carpet with ease.

Misao was waiting for Kaoru just inside the doors of the lobby that hadn't been able to keep out the congregation of press and fans. She bounded over to Kaoru and grabbed her hands, her face glowing from excitement and the flashing lights. "You did it! Your first red carpet and you didn't trip!"

Kenshin's hand slid away from her waist, causing Kaoru to look up at him but he simply walked away without a backward glance and up to a group of chatty, dressy women. As soon as Kenshin left, Kaoru realized just how weak her legs felt when Kenshin's reassurance wasn't there by her side.

Misao giggled at her knowingly and hooked her arm with Kaoru's. "You don't need him when you have me! Let's ditch the lobby and let me show you around, we still have a little bit of time before the show starts."

Misao tugged at Kaoru and they waltzed off towards a set of doors leading to the actual arena. "But Misao, the doors don't open for another half hour!"

"Since when has that ever stopped me?" Misao shot Kaoru a not-so innocent grin and sidetracked to a side stairwell blocked by a burly guard.

"But how-?"

"Shush Kao, just follow me." Misao weaved around the crowds of people to pluck a glass of champagne off of a table. Then she headed towards a group of classy people just by the blocked stairwell. "This is the part where we hafta be quick. Just walk towards the stairwell, I'll be right behind you."

Kaoru mentally and physically braced herself for whatever Misao had planned. With a deep breath, she walked towards the stairwell, making brief eye contact with the guard. She simply smiled at him and he grinned sheepishly back, but his attention was immediately distracted when a girl shrieked from the other direction. After seeing that the screaming woman just had champagne spilled on her, he turned back to face Kaoru only to find that nobody was there.

Misao and Kaoru were panting on the other side of the stairwell; Kaoru didn't think that she had ever moved that quickly in her life. Misao straightened up, revealing a half empty glass of champagne. "Smooth as glass, right Kaoru?"

Kaoru giggled. She hadn't bothered to look at the woman when she screamed, knowing that it was Misao's doing. Instead, she had lunged for the stairwell, pulling on the handle just as Misao was pushing her onto the other side. Miraculously, they had hardly made any noise.

Misao tipped some of the champagne into her mouth and offered the rest to Kaoru. "Now for some real fun. All that waiting with all those stuffy people can be too dull." Kaoru drained the glass and set it down on the bottom step before following Misao up the stairs.

"So where are we going?" Kaoru asked.

Misao shrugged. "They have some pretty cool training halls that I could show you around to. Oh and the locker rooms are fancy! I would like to show you those too, but it would not be good if we were caught by Aoshi-sama."

Kaoru silently agreed and exited the stairwell at the next level. They could hear music drifting from the soon-to-be-filled arena down the hallway. The carpet muffled their footsteps, and soon they arrived at a long row of huge windows that looked into the lower level of the arena.

"It's much bigger than I thought it was gonna be…" Kaoru admired.

"Yeah, it's huge. These events sell out too. I think it's much more fun to see these men duel with authentic swords rather than wrestle."

Kaoru could see the seats rise way above the window and it reminded her of an indoor football stadium.

Suddenly a door opened from the stairwell they had just snuck into and Kaoru and Misao exchanged glances. "Quick, we'll go hide in a training hall." Misao grabbed Kaoru and together they attempted to run in heels. They rounded a corner and saw that the carpet ended at the door to another stairwell. Misao bent to yank off her shoes so that no one would hear their heels clicking in the stairwell. Kaoru followed suit before slipping soundlessly through the stairwell door. They launched up another three flights of stairs and came out on a landing that was above the arena. The floor was tile here as well and their feet padded softly across the floor until Misao arrived at a room tucked back into a corner. Misao poked her head inside to make sure the room was clear before the two girls entered.

Misao flicked on the lights and spun around on the hardwood floor. "This is one of the more modest training halls they have up here. Aoshi has taken me here a few times before to train, I love it here."

Kaoru glanced around the room. One wall was covered in mirrors, the other lined with windows overlooking the city. Then, to Kaoru's delight, she spotted a row of bokkens lined up on the opposite side of the room. She dropped her heels by the door and bounded over to grab one, feeling at home with the secure weight of the weapon in her hand.

A kunai whizzed by Kaoru's face and she quickly whirled around into a defensive stance. Misao stood facing her holding a handful of training kunai. "Care to duel?"

Kaoru grinned. "Love to."

The dance began. It was a little rusty at first since it had been so long since Kaoru had practiced, but soon she fell into the routine, feeling her muscles flex and body bend as she dodged the kunai.

"Tai would kill me if she saw my make up." Misao said while wiping away the sheen of sweat on her forehead, though she didn't sound very upset about it.

Both girls paused every once in a while to adjust their clothing and then restarted. Unbeknownst to them, the lobby doors downstairs had already opened letting the audience enter the arena, leaving Kenshin, Sanosuke, and Megumi to wonder where the girls had snuck off to.

"What do you mean you can't find the girl? We saw them walk in, and no one can leave the lobby!" Hissed a shadowed man pressed against the wall, surrounded by other press.

The other man nodded his head in the direction of Kenshin and Sano, who seemed to be looking desperately around the room for something, or someone. "It looks like we're not the only ones who can't find the girl."

"Well you better find the girl before they do. We've got a job to finish, one that you failed to do last time. Just get me a freakin picture!"

The shadowed man huffed and backed away, slipping seamlessly into the crowd despite his bulky figure.

"Megumi, Sano, just go ahead inside and I'll look for the girls. If they're not around the lobby then I have a feeling where they might have gone." Kenshin said coldly, his eyes still scanning the lobby. He was furious that the two girls would run off on him again. Why hadn't he been paying more attention to them? It was because of those girls that had been making eyes at him the moment they stepped into the building. He should have stayed with Kaoru.

"But Kenshin, what if something happened to them? You know that someone is after you. It may be a trap." Sano argued, Megumi gripping his arm worriedly.

Kenshin shook his head. "If they are in trouble then I better hurry. Go inside, Sano."

Sano scowled. "Fine. But if you are not back here in twenty minutes, I'm gonna come after you."

Kenshin _hmphed_ and spun on his heel, walking briskly to a nearby elevator. The guard simply nodded to Kenshin and stepped aside as Kenshin entered the elevator and impatiently waited for the doors to close.

Both Kaoru and Misao were panting by the time they were finished with their sparring. "That was so much fun. We'll need to do it again." Said Misao as she walked over to the mirror to readjust her outfit and fix her hair.

Kaoru nodded. "Yes, somewhere where it is okay for us to lose track of time." She glanced up at the clock that read 7:05. The match started five minutes ago.

Misao sighed as she laced up her heels. "I bet Sano and Megumi are going to kill us when we come back in."

"Not since I found you first." Said a deep baritone from the entrance of the dojo, causing both Kaoru and Misao to whirl around.

"Kenshin!" Misao shouted, leaping up to her feet. "You should have seen Kaoru fight! Who knew that she's actually pretty good!"

Kaoru's breath caught in her throat as she took in Kenshin's appearance. Though he appeared to be calm, and pretty irritated, she could tell by his ruffled hair and the shirt clinging to his body that he had ran around the building looking for them. She looked away, ashamed, wondering why he'd be so frazzled looking for them in the first place.

Kenshin looked over at Kaoru in surprise once hearing that she could fight, but her head was bowed so that she missed the appreciative glance he gave her. He then remembered how he was supposed to be angry with the two girls for sneaking about and he cleared his throat to cut Misao off. "We need to return to the arena right away. Let's go."

Kaoru looked questioningly over at Misao. She expected there to be much more yelling, but it seemed as if they got off the hook easy. Misao was thinking the same thing and was beaming as they exited the dojo and headed back to the arena.

They never noticed the stairwell door opening as they climbed into the elevator. An angry scowl spread across Gohei's features as he just missed catching the orphan.

The arena erupted into bursts of cheering when Kenshin entered the arena with the two girls in tow. Misao automatically started cheering as well when she realized that Aoshi just got a hit on his opponent. Kaoru couldn't help but smile.

Kaoru was thankful that their entrance went unnoticed and she immediately picked out Sano and Megumi in the front row. They quickly met relieved glances once they took their seats to watch the rest of the match. Kaoru was left in thought wondering why they were so worried. She remembered the warning Sano had given her a few nights ago about keeping her eyes peeled for danger. But surely nothing would happen in such a public and crowded place? Kaoru tried to push the thought from her mind. She was here to enjoy herself, and after a sidelong glance to Kenshin, to make Kenshin look good. She turned her eyes onto the match and watched the progression of attacks with a well-trained eye.

The match continued on without a hitch. Aoshi won, obviously, and Misao was completely beside herself with excitement at the end. Sano was whooping merrily and Kaoru grinned when she noticed Megumi was leaning onto Sano's other arm with a content smile. Kenshin was clapping with the rest of the crowd, occasionally whistling when Aoshi came back out to receive his award. Everyone left the arena in high spirits and Kaoru was thankful that their limo was close by.

Once they all had taken a seat, Kenshin's phone went off. Kaoru turned her attention to the window, watching the crowds of people leave as she heard Kenshin speak into the phone. "Great job tonight… Yes? You going? Oh sure sounds great. I'll let them know. See you in a bit! Bye."

"What was that about?" Misao asked once Kenshin hung up.

"Aoshi's meeting us at the club tonight." Kenshin said with a smile.

Kaoru didn't think that it was possible for Misao's grin to be wider than when Aoshi won the match, but she proved her wrong. Misao's face was on the verge of splitting.

It was a short ride to the club. Once they pulled up to the curb, everyone climbed out and Kaoru went to go join the massive line of people that wrapped around the block outside the club.

"Whoa where are you going Missy?" Sano asked, grabbing Kaoru's elbow and steering her towards the entrance doors. "There's no need to wait when you've got Kenshin with you."

Kaoru's wide eyes fell on Kenshin as he straightened his shirt and strolled towards the bouncer at the door. The bouncer immediately opened up the door and winked at Kaoru as they walked in. Immediately she was encompassed by pounding music and bodies pressed against one another dancing and talking.

"Watch your mouth, tenuki, or you might catch flies." Megumi giggled at Kaoru as they walked in. Her mouth was gaping open. She had never been special enough to be put in front of others. Nor had she ever been around this many people before. Never gone dancing before. Never dressed up to go out before. It was an evening of firsts.

After entering the club, Kenshin led the group up a set of stairs by the dance floor to where all of the private booths were. Music was pounding out through the speakers causing the floor to vibrate. Kaoru hovered by the railing that overlooked the dance floor as Kenshin confidently walked towards the last booth in the corner. Sano and Megumi slid in on one side, Kenshin on the other. Kaoru was still clinging to the railing, dying to join the others on the dance floor, Misao standing by her watching anxiously for Aoshi.

A waitress strutted over to the table moments later ready to take drink orders. Those sitting at the table ordered their mixed drinks and the waitress turned to get Misao and Kaoru's orders. Before Misao could speak, however, Megumi but in. "They will just have a couple of cokes."

Misao pouted as the waitress walked away and Megumi shook her head knowingly. "No drinks for you girls yet. You're underage."

Misao rolled her eyes but Kaoru didn't mind. She leaned heavily against the railing realizing for the first time that day how tired she was. The little sparring match she and Misao had was enough to tire out anybody, and all of the excitement from the match was starting to wear off. She longingly watched the people dancing together on the floor beneath them, their bodies becoming one with the beat. She had never danced before and had no idea whether or not she could dance. Misao seemed to hear her thoughts and nudged Kaoru's elbow.

"Do you want to go give it a shot?" Misao asked, nodding her head in the direction of the dance floor.

She looked back at Kenshin, remembering how angry he was when she ran off with Misao in the arena. To her surprise, he was staring right back at her with glazed amethyst eyes. Kaoru quirked her head to the side wondering what he was thinking, but he was completely zoned out. Kaoru nodded her head in answer to Misao and then said to Sano and Megumi, "We're going to go dance for a little bit. That okay?" Sano eagerly waved them off and Misao grabbed Kaoru's hand leading her down the steps and onto the floor.

Misao wormed her way through the mass of people and found enough room for the two of them to stand comfortably together. Almost immediately, Misao started swaying her hips to the music, her arms rising upwards to twirl in the air. Kaoru swallowed nervously as she started to imitate what Misao was doing. It was easy enough to let the music consume her as she rocked her hips to it, then start to sway to it, and then her arms just fell about her as it followed her turning and twisting motions.

"Woo Kaoru look at you go!" Misao giggled, reaching out to grab Kaoru's hands to twirl her around. Kaoru threw her head back and laughed, reveling in the moment of freedom.

"Damn, would you take a look at that?" Sano asked up by their booth as he peered over the railing. "Who knew the missy had it in her? She could totally show up a belly dancer." Megumi rolled her eyes at him as Sano paused in thought. "I wonder- do you think she can pole dance?"

Megumi scoffed at him and slapped his arm. "Sano! How dare you say that! She's so young!"

"But legal." Sano responded, wagging his eyebrows.

Kenshin took a sip of his drink and walked over to the railing to see what all the commotion was about. It didn't take long for him to pinpoint where Misao and Kaoru were dancing. Their erotic moves were beginning to draw attention from the people around them and several guys began dancing with the girls without the girls even paying attention to them.

Kenshin was drawn to the way Kaoru was moving. Her cap was pulled down on her forehead, forcing him to focus on the confident smirk on her lips. Her pants hung low on her hips and her white top was sliding up her stomach, revealing a taught set of abs. Her skin was glistening in the lights and he could see her muscles pull and stretch as she danced. It was alluring. What Sano had just said raced through his brain, "_She's legal_."

Apparently the other guys dancing around her thought so too as one guy in particular stretched his hand out to grasp her hip. Immediately a wave of anger washed over Kenshin at the contact. Kaoru was _his_ responsibility. Kaoru was _his_ to look after. He couldn't let her go prancing around letting other boys touch her. Not when he hadn't touched her first.

Kenshin was ready to go down to the floor and take his position next to Kaoru when he noticed someone else had a similar idea. Aoshi had just entered the club and was met with tons of applause and attention from the people surrounding him. As he stoically made his way to the stairs to their booth, he caught sight of Misao. Kenshin watched with amusement as he stopped, watched, and then made his way onto the floor. The people parted for Aoshi as if they were the red sea, and soon he took his place with Misao. His hands grasped her waist firmly, spinning Misao to face him. She was shocked for only a minute, but then she smiled warmly at him. Her arms, which were still raised in the air, fell around his neck, and after a few moments of stillness, Misao continued to dance around Aoshi as he helped twirl her, hold her, rocked with her, always following her lead.

As Kenshin descended the stairs, he wondered at the relationship between Aoshi and Misao. It hadn't always been that way, their personalities clashing at first. His eyes focused on Kaoru's and he wondered if he and Kaoru were the same way. But after watching her continue to wind around the guy that was at her back, he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head. All he could think of now was dancing with Kaoru.

The crowd of people didn't part for Kenshin like they did for Aoshi. But they certainly tried to swarm around him. Just because he wasn't at the top of the A-list didn't mean that people didn't know who he was and they definitely still found him attractive. But no matter how the women pressed against him, he didn't feel them.

Within a few minutes Kenshin had finally arrived to where Kaoru was still dancing with the unknown man. The brim of her hat hid her eyes and her mouth parted slightly as she started to pant. When her arms lifted into the air once more, he grabbed at her fingertips and twirled her into him. The guy that she was dancing with was about to protest, but a hard amber glare silenced him.

Kaoru had stopped thinking long ago and let the music completely consume her. She was tired, but the music gave her all the energy that she needed. Kaoru vaguely noticed that someone had touched her waist and a thrill went through her body. The feeling was new and exciting and Kaoru reveled in the feel of being wanted. When Aoshi had walked towards the two girls and took up dancing, Kaoru couldn't help but watch in awe. Though they were such opposites, they looked so right together. She knew that Misao was brought here for Aoshi, and she was jealous at how well Misao had done her job. "_And more,_" Kaoru thought as she saw Aoshi clutching to Misao protectively.

Just then, she felt two hands grab her and twirl her into a firm chest. She noticed a shock of red out of the corner of her eye and immediately realized that she was no longer with the guy who had been previously holding her waist. She raised her head and her bright blue eyes met amber. Her body froze to find Kenshin standing so close to her, and his eyes so focused on her. Slowly, his hands trailed down her arms, trailing slowly down her sides and finally resting on the skin at her hips. Kaoru's body was tingling, his fingers setting her skin on fire. She was suddenly very awake and very aware of whatever Kenshin was doing.

Kenshin sent Kaoru a confident smirk as he firmed his grip on her, forcing her to return to moving her body to the beat. Slowly she got back into the music, finding it harder to concentrate as she kept on staring into Kenshin's eyes. Her feet shifted so that she was straddling one leg. Together they swayed together, her arms falling lightly on his shoulders. What seemed like hours of never breaking eye contact, she couldn't take the intense emotions that were swirling in his eyes. She took a step back away from Kenshin, but his hands would not let her go far. Instead, she twirled herself around so that her back was pressed to his chest. His hands pressed against her stomach and Kaoru could feel heat emanating in his hands and pooling in strange places in her body. Yet it wasn't frightening, rather it was eliciting. Her eyes fluttered shut and her breathing became more ragged. She didn't know how long they were dancing together or when her fingers became entangled with Kenshin's, but her attention was distracted when Misao was tapping at her shoulder and drawing her away from Kenshin.

Kaoru pouted slightly and she felt how Kenshin was reluctant to let go, but Misao was insistent. "Kaoru, let's go back upstairs. There's someone taking pictures."

Kaoru herself couldn't pinpoint camera flashes from all of the other lights in the room, but she knew from Misao's sincerity and the determined look on Aoshi's face that they should stop dancing and go up to their private booth. Leaving Aoshi and Kenshin behind, Kaoru let Misao lead her back up to the booth where they sat sipping at some waters.

"So you and Kenshin looked hot on the dance floor!" Misao squealed, resuming her bubbly personality once they were alone in their booth.

Kaoru blushed. "Did we? I didn't notice…"

Misao slapped at Kaoru's arm. "You mean that you didn't feel the way his hands were all over you?"

Kaoru noticed the two men walking up the stairs then with serious expressions. "Ssh, not now, we'll talk about it later, kay?"

Misao giggled and continued to sip on her water.

"I think it's time that we leave." Aoshi announced once they arrived at the table.

"Sure thing." Misao said, saluting Aoshi.

"Where's Sano and Megumi?" Kaoru asked.

"They're meeting us in the limo." Kenshin responded, his eyes still smoldering.

Both Kaoru and Misao slid out of the booth and silently followed the men outside to meet Sano and Megumi in the limo.

It was so hard for Kaoru to wake up the next morning. Her eyes felt like they were glued shut. They probably were with the amount of make up she had on that she didn't bother to clean off when she came back from the club the night before.

As Kaoru pushed herself out of bed and staggered into the shower, memories of the night before flooded her mind. Images of the match she had with Misao, of Aoshi winning his match, of the limo ride to the club, and then finally dancing at the club. Her cheeks flushed at the way she remembered Kenshin's hands grabbing her and the heat they created.

She didn't want to think about it too much. She had completely made a fool of herself on the dance floor. Kaoru scoffed at herself once she clambered out of the shower. She quickly pulled on a pair of yoga pants and a t-shirt, stuffing her hair into an unruly wet bun, and quickly walked downstairs to get some breakfast. But on her way down, she noticed the paper that was laid out on the table by the front door. On the front page was a picture of her. Correction: a picture of her and Kenshin. Kaoru gasped and quickly confiscated the paper, running into the nearest closet, flipping on the light, and thoroughly examined the article.

The picture on the front page was steamy to put it politely. It was of Kaoru and Kenshin dancing, her back to his chest, his hands splayed across her stomach, her arms arching up and backwards around his neck. Kaoru was grateful for the cap covering her eyes, but his eyes were smoldering and directed solely on her body. The picture, in Kaoru's opinion, was scandalous, and the article was almost just as bad.

_"Our favorite actor was spotted last night at a night club after attending Aoshi Shinomori's match. He has not been spotted out and about the city's hottest nightspots since the tragic homicide and suicide on his estate a month ago. But being the actor that he is, he could not stay away from drama for long._

"Pictured above, Kenshin Himura dances with his new ward, Kaoru Kamiya. As thankful as we are for Ms Kamiya to pull Kenshin out of his secluded shell, we are shocked to see the type of girl the Himura household has taken in. Are the halls of Himura to be thus polluted?"

The article appalled Kaoru. How could she have acted that way on the dance floor? She knew what was at stake. She should have acted like the good little ward and stayed up in the booth sipping her coke. Poor Kenshin. They should have chosen someone else.

Kenshin strolled out of his bedroom and down the steps. He just received word from Shishio that there was to be a meeting discussing Kaoru's future press releases. Kenshin glanced out the window by the front door and took note of the darkening sky. It looked like it was going to rain soon. He turned to the closet to grab an umbrella.

Kenshin received quite the shock when he opened the closet door. Crumpled on the floor sat Kaoru, a newspaper article in her fingers, and silent tears streaming down her face.

"Kaoru!" Kenshin shouted, dropping to his knees and running his hands over her shoulders, instinctually thinking that she was hurt. As soon as his hands made contact with her body, he experienced the heat that he had felt last night when they were dancing.

Kaoru turned her face away from Kenshin and drew her body even more into herself. "I'm not hurt, Kenshin, it's okay." She mumbled, her face grew red at being discovered.

A pained expression took over Kenshin's face. "You don't look okay. Kaoru," he reached one hand to cup her face and the other to smooth over her hair, "tell me what's wrong."

Kaoru slowly lifted her eyes to Kenshin, finding comfort in his soft amethyst eyes. Instead of speaking, however, she handed Kenshin the article. "Here, I think this is for you."

Kenshin took the article from Kaoru, keeping one hand in her hair. He froze when he saw the picture of the two of them on the cover. Instead of being appalled, he was intrigued. The feelings that were running through his body that night suddenly returned with a searing intensity. He quickly skimmed through the article, his eyes darkening when he took offense to the way they disgraced Kaoru in the article.

"I'm so sorry, Kenshin," Kaoru sobbed once she saw the look in his eyes, thinking that the murderous rage that filled his eyes was at her.

"No, Kaoru, none of this is your fault." Kenshin seethed, "I will go fix this right now."

"No!" Kaoru cried, reaching out to hold onto Kenshin's arms. "No, that's not how this is supposed to work. I'm supposed to be helping you!"

Kenshin's body immediately softened and he gathered Kaoru's trembling body into his arms. "Kaoru," he nudged gently, trying to get her tear streaked face to look at his. The broken look in her eyes practically stopped his heart. He never wanted to see that look in her eyes again. "You are helping me. Much more than you realize. And you can continue to help me. But them attacking you like this was uncalled for." Kaoru sniffed into Kenshin's chest and Kenshin felt a surge of emotion swell within him. His voice dropped an octave as he continued to speak, "I will not apologize for the way we acted last night. It gives me something to look forward to in the future."

Kaoru's eyes darted up to Kenshin's. His eyes were smoldering now like they were last night, and it was very hard to ignore the heat that was building up in her body. His fingers were trailing down her cheek, cupping her chin, and tugging her face towards him. She could feel his breath on her lips they were so close. Her eyes fell closed as she waited with bated breath what inevitably would happen next.


	9. Charitable Service

Orphan's Paradise

Chapter 9: Charitable Service

Mystic Song

Disclaimer: I do not own RK

A/N: Thanks everyone for sticking with this, especially after the mix up with chapter 8! But chapter 8 has been replaced with the correct chapter (finally, I know) and here is a new chapter 9. You can expect chapter 10 next week! It's already finished, so it will be on time, I promise! Enjoy reading!

Last time:

_Kenshin's eyes were smoldering now like they were last night, and it was very hard to ignore the heat that was building up in Kaoru's body. His fingers were trailing down her cheek, cupping her chin, and tugging her face towards him. She could feel his breath on her lips they were so close. Her eyes fell closed as she waited with bated breath what inevitably would happen next._

"What the hell is going on here?" Sano exclaimed when he pulled open the closet door to find Kenshin and Kaoru in a rather compromising position.

Kaoru gasped and scrambled out of the closet faster than a raccoon faced with a shotgun. She frantically dashed up the stairs and slammed the door to her room. Misao peeked her head out of her bedroom then and followed Kaoru with a concerned look on her face.

"Jesus Kenshin, I know you like your women, but cornering Jou-chan in a closet?" Sano was practically screaming at Kenshin.

Kenshin slowly stood up and plucked the umbrella from its holder. His cheeks were tinged an uncharacteristic pink. "Sano, relax. I found her in here reading this article. She was upset."

Sanosuke's face softened as he took the article from Kenshin. "Ah, I saw this. Poor thing. She doesn't deserve that." Sano then turned hard eyes on Kenshin, "But she doesn't deserve you taking advantage of her either." Sanosuke growled, pointing an accusing finger into Kenshin's chest.

"Oro!" Kenshin gasped, tripping away from the closet.

Sano shook his head in annoyance. "C'mon, let's go. We need to figure out how to fix things."

Kenshin solemnly nodded and followed Sano out the front door and into their car.

"Kaoru! Kaoru! What's wrong? Please open up!" Misao knocked on Kaoru's door, begging Kaoru to let her in.

There was no answer.

Misao sighed and quickly attacked the lock on the door. Within seconds Misao had sprung the lock and was walking into the room.

There Kaoru was, curled up, hugging a pillow to her chest. There were no tears, just a very red face and a shocked expression. "I knew you were going to come in here." Kaoru mumbled from her fetal position on the couch.

"Then why did you bother to lock the door when you knew I was going to come in anyway?" Misao asked, a small smile on her lips.

Kaoru shrugged. "It gives the illusion of privacy."

Misao giggled and cautiously sat next to Kaoru on the couch. When Kaoru didn't cower away, Misao deemed it safe to relax into the cushions. "So, wanna tell me what happened?"

Kaoru rolled her eyes. Of course she would cut straight to the chase. "Did you read the newspaper this morning? Or even just see the picture?"

Misao squinted one eye in thought. "No, I didn't read the paper." Kaoru was about to breathe a sigh of relief but then Misao continued, "But I did see it all over _E!_ this morning."

Kaoru squeaked in embarrassment and sank further into the cushions.

"Oh relax!" Misao laughed, gently hitting Kaoru's arm in admonishment. "Worse things could have happened. Besides, you have every woman wishing they were you right now. That picture was H-O-T hot!"

"Misao!" Kaoru squeaked, "You're not helping!"

"Oh come off it. You liked it." Misao countered.

Kaoru's blush gave her away.

"See! And don't worry about what they say. Trust me, they're just jealous."

"But Misao, I don't want to come off as some-" Kaoru gulped and whispered, "_hussy_!"

Misao almost rolled off the couch laughing. "Kaoru! A hussy? Seriously, look at this." She grabbed the remote and turned on the TV and quickly pressing the mute button.

To Kaoru's horror the picture of her and Kenshin was blown up on the television. But then they flashed the only other pictures of her, which were from the press conference where she was dressed as a prep. The two definitely didn't seem to match.

"See, you gave a great first impression. The perfect goody-two-shoes girl. Then when the public starts to feel that you are too perfect, you show them a very human, very fun side. Give them a little something to talk about!" Misao said slyly and gave Kaoru a wink. "The press will only go ballistic over this for a day or two and then it's gonna die down once the next celeb couple breaks up or Angelina has another baby."

Kaoru felt a little better. "But it's still bad press. It makes Kenshin look bad!"

Misao shook her head. "No don't worry about that. The important thing is that it _is_ in the press. You got his name out there; you're keeping it fresh in people's minds. That makes him more popular and a more familiar name. And you know people always like what's familiar to them. So you pretty much did him a huge favor." Kaoru looked up to Misao with a little hope. "Besides, I'm sure Kenshin loved every minute of it. Geez just look at his face! He is totally smitten."

"Gah!" Kaoru blushed and stuffed her face into the pillow.

Misao laughed. "And I guess you're totally smitten with him too then?"

Kaoru did not want to answer that question. "Do you know what he said to me? Just a moment ago downstairs?"

"What?" Misao asked, leaning forward anxiously to hear the answer.

"He said that he couldn't wait for it to happen again in the future!" Kaoru squeaked once again. Her face was so red at this point that Kaoru wasn't sure that it was ever going to return to its normal color.

"No!" Misao gasped and a huge grin split her face. "That's adorable!"

"Misao! No! I don't think I can ever face him again!"

"Oh hush Kaoru. How about we go eat something, maybe some more bowling, and then a movie tonight to get our minds off things? I'm sure that the boys are gonna come back from their meeting with a huge agenda planned out for you. So we might as well relax while we can!"

Kaoru nodded and allowed Misao to drag her out of her room and down the stairs.

Shishio stood at the front of the conference table, passing out his agenda for the next two weeks. He scheduled public appearances for Kaoru just about every day, shoving her into the public view in about every situation possible so as to cover up the little public display from the night before.

"We're already getting phone calls from big television shows like Oprah, Ellen, and Regis & Kelly, but I've declined them all. Instead, we're going for smaller acts, like public outings, benefit dinners, charity concerts, and then the occasional photo shoot or two." Shishio lectured as he gestured to different activities on the agenda.

Kenshin winced at the activities that he saw. He wouldn't even want to attend these let alone have Kaoru suffer through them. "Will I be attending these events with her?" He asked after a moment. He couldn't bear the thought of Kaoru sitting at a benefit dinner by herself as some boring geezer lectured on and on about the positive effects of some bizarre food in the every day diet.

Shishio looked up at Kenshin and Kenshin could swear that Shishio was grinning smugly. "Why no, of course not. I don't think that it would be a good idea for the two of you to be hanging around each other after last night's fiasco. It's bad enough that the two of you aren't chaperoned in your house."

"Chaperoned?" Kenshin growled, about to leap out of his seat.

Hiko reached a hand out to Kenshin's shoulder and pressed him down. "It's for her own good, Kenshin."

"Like you know what's for her own good." Kenshin spat.

"And you do?" Hiko countered.

Kenshin glowered and remained silent for the remainder of the meeting.

Kaoru and Misao had snuck out of the house in the middle of the day to go and play outside. It had been raining all morning, and judging by the dark looming clouds in the sky, it wasn't over yet. But Misao wanted to go swimming and wasn't going to take no for an answer. Judging by the mischievous glint in her eye, Kaoru suspected that they weren't going to be just swimming.

Misao packed a light bag with clothes and urged Kaoru to wear the one-piece bathing suit in her closet. Kaoru was not going to argue with that. She quickly changed into it and put on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt before meeting Misao downstairs.

"Are we going to the Aoiya?" Kaoru asked as they headed out back to the jet skis.

"Yeah, we'll need to be quick though." Misao quickly lowered the jet skis in the water, slid her bag in the cubby, and gestured for Kaoru to quickly join her in the water. Without a second glance, they putted out into the water and quickly took off towards the hidden overhang. Because there was thunder rumbling in the distance, there was hardly anybody out on the water and it took no time at all to pull into the Aoiya's dock.

As they secured their jet skis, Kaoru couldn't help but think back to the time when she saw Himura in all his glory riding out to their boat when they went tubing. He was so concerned and charming though cocky but nonetheless captivating. She sighed to herself, eliciting a raised eyebrow from Misao. Kaoru quickly shook the thoughts from her head and followed Misao past the house and towards the woods.

"Where are we going? Is there a pool back here?" Kaoru asked.

"Sort of." Misao answered cryptically. "We're almost there."

It had started to rain, but the rain was warm and comforting. Finally they arrived at a clearing in the grass, but it wasn't a pool like Kaoru had thought. Instead it was a giant swamp of-

"Mud! We're going swimming in mud?" Kaoru asked incredulously.

Misao giggled. "Yeah! It's fun! I promise!" Misao dashed towards the mud, stripping her clothes as she went and plunging into the muddy goodness.

Kaoru only hesitated for a moment before rushing in after Misao. As soon as her toes touched the cool mud she squealed. The mud squished beneath her feet and Kaoru shivered as she sunk deeper into the mud, letting it coat and stick to her skin. The constant rain kept the mud from caking on their skin, letting it run down their arms in thick, chunky rivulets.

"How on earth did you ever get into this?" Kaoru asked as she pushed her way through the mud.

Misao was attempting to back stroke, the mud framing the outside oval of her face and leaving the creamy center pale. "Okon and Omasu used to sit here and let the mud cake their skin, like an all natural facial. Sometimes they brought me with them, though I didn't like to sit around and wait for the mud to dry like they did."

"Obviously," Kaoru laughed.

The girls didn't stay there for too long, not wanting another repeat of the tubing incident, though Kaoru secretly hoped that Kenshin would come home early just so he could find her. But as she looked down at her muddy skin, she decided otherwise. They jumped into the lake water, which was getting cooler as the day wore out, and tried to scrub as much mud off as possible before hopping on the jet skis to get home. The remaining mud had dried on their skin from the wind of the jet skis, leaving small crumbs on the seat once they arrived back at the Himura Estate.

Wearing only their bathing suits and shoes, the girls slipped in through the back door and made a mad dash to their bedrooms. Once they arrived, Misao ordered for Kaoru to meet her in the lobby of the movie room once they were cleaned. Kaoru nodded her assent and made a beeline to the shower. She turned on the warm water and stepped inside, bathing suit and all, to scrub off the excess mud.

Kenshin looked hopelessly at Kaoru's itinerary on the drive back from the meeting. After they had discussed Kaoru's interactions with the press they talked about the plans for Kenshin's clothing line. Or more like the board discussed and Kenshin nodded absentmindedly. They decided that having Kaoru model the clothes in a photo shoot for them since having an average girl wearing high fashion clothes would boost sales.

Kenshin sighed, letting his head fall back onto his headrest. According to Shishio's itinerary, Kenshin wouldn't really get to see Kaoru for another week and a half.

"You're moping." Megumi eyed Kenshin suspiciously from the seat adjacent to him. "Stop it."

"Just because you're not going to be seen publicly with Jou-chan for a week doesn't mean you won't see her around." Sano tried to placate Kenshin.

Kenshin looked baffled. "You think that I'm moping because I'm not going to be hanging around Kaoru?"

Megumi nodded. "Well yes. Why else would you be moping?"

Kenshin averted his eyes to gaze out the window. "Why are you letting Shishio control all of our PR anyway?" Kenshin argued.

"Technically, Kenshin, you're the boss. You don't need to let him do anything. But since you allowed him to be in charge of your financial dealings, he can decide how our PR affects your financial growth. Plus he gets more leeway since he helped us get Kaoru here in the first place." Megumi answered.

"But maybe we can rearrange a few of these things and have you make cameo appearances, huh?" Sanosuke said, already pulling out a pencil and making notes on the itinerary.

"Sano, it's fine." Kenshin said, not able to keep his frustration out of his voice.

Sano shrugged it off and pocketed the itinerary just as the car pulled up to the house. Once inside, they ran into Misao descending the stairs in sweats. "Oh hey guys. Welcome back!"

Sano and Megumi waved tiredly to Misao and moved to another part of the house. Before Kenshin could escape to his room Misao asked, "Wanna watch a movie with me and Kaoru tonight?" She eyed the creased itinerary in Kenshin's hands warily, "It may be the last time in a while where we all get to hang out."

When Misao put it that way, Kenshin didn't dare pass up the chance to be around Kaoru. "Yeah, sure, let me just change and I'll meet you there."

Misao grinned and skipped off in the opposite direction.

Kaoru applied a thick lather of soap all across her body. Watching the suds pool around the drain, scenes from that morning flashed before her mind. Her face burned in embarrassment. They had almost _kissed_! And she would have kissed him back! She felt like such a fool. Here she was, supposed to be all poise, all class. She was supposed to sway the public, to convince them that Kenshin had a good heart, that he had been wronged and that he deserved a second chance. Yet there goes Kaoru, hanging all over Kenshin like one of his adolescent fans. He was used to fancy, high-class girls who oozed sophistication. Who was she to try and pretend to be one of them? He should kick her out now while they still had time and choose someone that was like, well, more like Megumi.

It was then that Kaoru realized that all of the suds had drained and that the hot steam had started to prune her fingers. She relished in the hot water for just a moment longer before flipping the shower off and grabbing a towel.

As she towel dried herself, she realized that she was supposed to watch a movie with Misao. She smiled and pulled on a black tank top and some light pink pajama bottoms. As she deftly pulled her hair into a lose braid, she vaguely wondered if Kenshin would be there. Kaoru scoffed at herself, quickly pulling on her socks and heading out her bedroom and down the steps.

"Now where did Misao say that movie room was?"

Kaoru had been wandering around for a good fifteen minutes trying to find that darned movie room. She walked by the kitchen twice and found herself in rooms she didn't know existed. She was seriously debating flopping down on the nearest couch and waiting until somebody found her. But just as she rounded the next corner, she ran face front into something hard enough to be a wall.

Kaoru rebounded backwards and looked up into a pair of steely blue eyes. Taking another step back, she realized that this stern face she was now looking into was the same face Misao had plastered all over her walls.

"Aoshi?" She gasped, and then added after his inquisitive look, "-san!"

"Are you lost?" Aoshi's deep voice asked, though it was more of a statement than a question.

Kaoru squirmed underneath his relentless gaze. "Um, yeah actually. I was going to find Misao so we could watch that movie. Except I can't really find where that would be." She added, the last bit in a huff.

Aoshi pivoted on his foot and walked in the opposite direction he had come. Kaoru found it extremely rude and was about to lash out at him when Aoshi paused and looked back at her. "Well?" He asked.

Kaoru snapped her mouth shut, realizing that he wanted her to follow him. So she quickly jostled after him.

After weaving through several rooms, Aoshi opened a door that lead into a lobby complete with a mini bar and popcorn machine. Kaoru, shell shocked, continued to follow Aoshi through the lobby and around the corner, and was awed by the oversized armchairs and the giant screen at the front of the room.

"Kaoru!" Misao squealed, jerking Kaoru out of her reverie. "I see you've brought Aoshi!" Misao was beaming.

Kaoru gave her a half smile, "Heh, yeah it's more like he brought me. I got lost somewhere around the kitchen." She turned to Aoshi and bowed in thanks.

A chuckle came from one of the armchairs. Kaoru looked up and saw a shock of red hair. _Oh Kami,_ she thought, _Why did he have to be here?_

Misao ushered Kaoru to the front where two of the oversized armchairs were, Kenshin sprawled out on one of them. He looked over and gave the group a smile before slipping out of his chair. "So, what kind of move are we in the mood for tonight?"

"Romance!" Misao shouted, pumping her fist in the air.

"Action." Kaoru countered, giving Misao a challenging look.

"Oro?" Kenshin muttered, his hand flying to the back of his head. Kaoru looked over at Kenshin, surprised, and then giggled. Kenshin shot her a sheepish look before walking over to the large cabinets against the sidewall. He thumbed through them and plucked one that read "Australia."

"What do you think of this one?" Kenshin asked.

Misao and Kaoru both nodded their approval as Aoshi seated himself in one of the armchairs. Misao bounded after him and jumped into the same chair, tossing her legs over Aoshi's.

"Go sit down." Kenshin nudged Kaoru. "I'll be there in a minute." Kaoru paled. She was going to be sitting with him?

Kaoru gingerly seated herself in the second armchair, practically hugging one of the sides. The movie came on and Kenshin walked over, comfortably seating himself on the other half of the armchair, shooting Kaoru a bemused look.

As the movie wore on, Kaoru found it extremely uncomfortable to remain pressed against her side of the chair. Plus, she was tired and the movie was long. She allowed herself to relax and unfurl, her body now pressed firmly against Kenshin's side. Kenshin looked over at her and their eyes clashed. His amethyst eyes transfixed Kaoru. They were soft and held so much emotion: the lingering hurt and betrayal from Tomoe's incident as well as a new found contentment.

Kaoru jumped when she felt Kenshin's arm touch her back. His eyes told her that it was okay, and she let him maneuver her so that she was lying comfortably across his lap. His smell was overwhelming, pine and ginger overriding her senses and quickly lulling her to sleep.

Kenshin looked down at the sleeping beauty in his lap. She was so peaceful looking, her pale complexion giving her an ethereal glow in the dim light. His fingers deftly ran through her ebony tresses that were as soft as silk. Kenshin vowed then and there that he was going to protect her from the press and from the person who was planning his demise.

Aoshi and Misao looked over at the pair and exchanged knowing looks.

The movie ended a few hours later, by then Kaoru was fast asleep. Aoshi nudged Misao awake and escorted her out of the room, silently waving his hand in farewell in Kenshin's direction. Kenshin lingered in the chair for a moment longer, not wanting to move the sleeping beauty in his lap. She looked so innocent laying there, not a wrinkle on her face, and her fingers were curled into his shirt. He carefully removed her cool fingers from his shirt and drew her body into his chest. Then he gracefully stood up; Kaoru cradled in his arms, and carried her up to her room.

Kenshin laid Kaoru softly down in her bed, drawing the covers up and around her body. His hands brushed her body. Kaoru moaned softly and opened her eyes. "Kenshin?"

"Yes Kaoru," He said, pausing in his motions to gaze into her sleepy blue eyes.

"Thank you. For everything." She yawned, raising one hand to cup his face briefly before letting it fall lazily above her head.

Kenshin was stunned by her touch but smiled softly back at her. "Of course, anything for you."

Kaoru hummed in appreciation and drifted off to sleep once more. Kenshin pushed Kaoru's bangs away from her face and bowed down to kiss her sweetly on the forehead. "Good night, Kaoru."

Kaoru was the epitome of kindness for the following week. Every morning Megumi would dress Kaoru up as a doll, wearing bright flowing skirts and dresses and curling and braiding her long black hair. Then she would be dragged off to the zoo, the aquarium, art museums, outdoor concerts, and then some. Kaoru was always returned to the house by nightfall and that's when Misao would come rescue her and sneak off to the Aoiya's dojo. Misao worked for Aoshi most days and therefore couldn't accompany Kaoru during her excursions.

Kaoru sighed in contentment, curling her toes into the polished hardwood floor and firmly gripping the bokken in her hand. With even breaths and deliberate movements, Kaoru worked out the kinks in her kata. It had been so long since she had been able to really practice her father's unique style, and now she had the opportunity to practice it, cherish it every night. It was almost like she was with him again as a little girl. It gave her peace. For that Kaoru would gladly sit through all of the benefit concerts and distinguished speaker lectures just to get these few peaceful moments with her bokken.

It's not like she minded the museums and exhibits. She had a wonderful time. She just didn't like how fake she had become. The normal Kaoru wouldn't go to the aquarium wearing a long black halter-top dress, pausing to read every sign and giggling when the press surprised her at each turn. She would rather run around with her friends, squealing at the octopus and cracking jokes about the electric eels. But she was grateful for the experience none-the-less.

After Kaoru worked through her kata, Misao challenged Kaoru to a duel. It was a relaxing sparring match where the girls lightheartedly jumped and danced around each other. After it ended, the girls drank tea with Okon and Omasu before being ushered back to the Himura Estate and up to bed.

Rinse. Wash. Repeat.

Kenshin was frustrated, to put it lightly, and for a stupid, juvenile reason. Every day for the past week Kenshin had gone into his office downtown. He was a zombie, not really paying attention to his task and just going through the movements. Every night he'd come home, wandering his house just to get a glimpse of silky black hair or a whiff of jasmine. But every night he'd be let down. His house seemed barren without her running around, her laughter filling the halls. Instead he'd fall asleep with his television on where the news showed her out in town, reading the signs in the art exhibits or giggling at animals behind glass. And every night the press revealed tidbits about Kaoru that he did not know.

"…The skyscrapers in the city are so different than the country environment Kaoru grew up in…"

"…Kaoru enjoyed the concert in the park. Her mother bought her a viola when she was little in hopes that she would learn…"

"…Apparently Kaoru is a sap for ice cream, chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream to be exact…"

Kenshin growled. These were things he should have known first, if only he had the opportunity to see her. Where did she go at night? Why was she never home? Didn't she want to see him?

Maybe he scared her off? That incident in the closet had been a little much, he'd agree with that, but he couldn't keep himself away. He never met anyone who captured his attention so. Whose natural beauty had him tongue-tied. Whose personality was as unique as it was refreshing.

He wanted to see her. He missed her.

Being with Kaoru was like a breath of fresh air or a splash of cool water to the face. And he so desperately needed that after the situation with Tomoe.

Kenshin sat up straighter in his chair and reached for his phone. He needed to stop letting others do his work for him. He certainly had not been pulling his weight in the company since Tomoe, letting the others carry his slack and leaving his decisions to others like Shishio. He needed to take charge and do things his way, the way they were supposed to go.

He dialed Sano's number.

"'Ello?" Sano answered a moment later.

"Sano, I need you to change Kaoru's schedule so that she spends the day with me tomorrow."

"Why hello to you too." Sano chuckled. "So you want to change Kaoru's schedule. Eh, that's not gonna be able to happen. At least not until Monday." Sano said uncomfortably.

Kenshin's blood slowly began to boil. "What do you mean?"

"Well Shishio has a pretty tight lock on Kaoru right now. I can't reschedule anything! Believe me, I tried. She's stuck until the photo shoots this Friday."

"Tell me, what does she have tomorrow?" Kenshin demanded.

"Actually she's going to see her friends in the orphanage and take them all out to see one of your movies."

Kenshin cocked an eyebrow. "Give me the address of the orphanage. I'll be meeting her there."

"Are you sure you want to do that? Tomorrow is the only day she got to choose where she wanted to go. I don't think she'll like you crashing her time with her friends."

"She'll still have time with them." Kenshin argued. "You know I haven't seen nor heard from her in a week? Not even a glimpse, Sano!"

"Calm down, Kenshin," Sano placated Kenshin's raising voice. "I can't keep you from doing what you want, and I like how you're thinking for yourself, finally, but just be careful of Jou-chan. No cornering her in any more closets, for instance, you understand?"

Kenshin chuckled but took his words seriously. "I promise to be careful."

"Good." And with that Sano hung up.

Kenshin sighed and let his head fall back. Sano was right about Kenshin not thinking for himself. He didn't want to imagine how many things he had let slide, both in his personal life and in his business.

The next morning, Kenshin strolled confidently to Hiko's office. He opened the door unannounced and said, "Listen, there are a few things we need to change."

Hiko chuckled, "It's about damn time, baka-deshi. Close the door."

Shishio sat behind his desk in his office with a smug smile on his face. "Welcome, Yukishiro-san, I was wondering when you were going to show up."

A man with white hair and round spectacles sat across from Shishio, his eyes glinting with madness. "I see that the situation is treating you nicely. Why, I understand that you are practically running the company since Himura-san's emotional health has been compromised."

Shishio flashed his wrist, his pricey watch catching the light in the room. "Just one of many benefits this situation has to offer. But tell me, what brings you here now?

"I am here to collect my end of the bargain." Yukishiro-san said, leaning forward and folding his hands under his pointed chin, "I created this opportunity for you. Now I want what was promised to me."

Shishio cocked his head to the side. "Enishi, isn't his emotional demise enough? What more do you want?"

"I want to destroy him!" Enishi seethed. "Just like he destroyed me. I want to tear him apart. Give me the girl."

Shishio chuckled. "You certainly give this girl a lot of credit if you think that she holds as much of Kenshin as your sister once did."

Enishi gestured to Shishio's office. "If he didn't do you think you would have all of this? You wouldn't be able to get away with half of the things that you do now if your using Kaoru did not drive him crazy."

Shishio seemed to contemplate his words. "Well, we did have a deal. But I am not done with her yet. Let me milk the girl for as much as she is worth, and then you can have her. It won't be much longer now."

Enishi smiled wickedly. "Thank you, Shishio."

"Now get out. I have more plans to make with Gohei." Shishio said.

With that Enishi bowed and left the room.

A/N: So what did you think? Probably were bummed after that little cliffy in the previous chapter. But no worries, more coming soon!


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